Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (From Fangs POV)
by RoyalMarz
Summary: This is the 1st book of the Maximum Ride series except… from Fang's POV! Or what I would think his POV would be if it was. Rated T. I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! Before you read the story I just want to say a few things.**

 **1st is: I am a new writer, and have no doubts mistakes will be made. If you have suggestions on how to improve my writing or story it is more then welcome. As well your complaints.**

 **2nd: This story is based on the Maximum Ride BOOKS and how I view each character. Yes there will be many parts about the characters that the books state. Such as being a talky box, brave, quiet, and other personality traits but also how I see them such as physical appearance and parts of the character that isn't named or said but maybe hinted. If you do not agree I fully support you stating and even proving that certain qualities I give, for example I may think one character has short instead of long hair but the book may say they have long hair, aren't true. But please don't shame me or anyone else's opinions in inappropriate ways. Things like saying "Your stupid" or No dumbass it's like… or they look like…" and other ways.**

 **3rd: If you here for sex please look somewhere else and don't ask me to write some. I may do that just not on this story so look out for those kind of things! The most you will see is the kind of sexual contact in the books, which isn't sex. The most that is, and will be, written is kisses, hugs, hand holding, and other things as such.**

 **4th: If there is any grammar mistakes please ignore them or just simply say something like: Hi! I just thought you should know you made a mistake, (insert mistakes), on (insert paragraph number) and I will be happy to fix it! Same thing goes with spelling. I tend to go over my writing multiple times so there shouldn't be much if any but things get by.**

 **5th: I will update as much as possible. P will update as much as possible but I am a little lazy. I plan to update this story at least once a month during school time, and probably more during breaks. If I am discontinuing or taking down the story I will tell you.**

 **6th: Some chapters, (spoiler warning!) when angel is in the school or when fang is not involved, I may do some word for word. I do not mean this in any harmful way, since this the book done from what I think Fang's POV would be, I feel it would be important to the story.**

 **7th: There is some cussing! Nothing extensive like the "N-word", "C-word", or "T-word", just some common ones such as piss, shit, damn, hell (not in religious speaking), and (although I don't think so) maybe even fuck.**

 **Cussing won't be so common where it is in every paragraph or sentence, it may not even be in every chapter, but you should know that if you are sensitive to those sort of words.**

 **8th: If you have not read the original book called "Maximum Ride The Angel Experiment" by James Patterson, then go read it. It is probably much better than this as it was made by the person who created the universe and fully understands it while I may (although I think I do) not.**

 **Anyway lets get on the story. If you haven't read the description here it is:** ** _This is the 1st book of the Maximum Ride series except… from Fang's POV! Or what I would think his POV would be if it was. Rated T._**

 ** _I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!_**

—

 **Prologue:**

Congratulations. The fact that you're reading this means you've taken one giant step closer to surviving till your next birthday. Yes, you, standing there leafing through these pages. Do not put this book down. I'm dead serious - your life could depend on it.

This is my story, the story of my family, but it could just as easily be your story too. We're all in this together; trust me on that.

I've never done anything like this, so I'm just going to jump in, and you try to keep up.

Okay. I'm Fang. I'm fourteen. I live with my family who are five kids not related to me by blood, but still family.

We're - well we're kind of amazing. Not to sound full of myself or anything, but we are very different compared to what many people consider normal.

Not "average" in any way! The six of us - Max, Iggy, Nudge, the Gasman, and Angel - were made on purpose by the worst people who call themselves "scientist" on the planet earth. The created us as an experiment. One where we ended up 98% human. And that other 2 percent? Well.. you could say it has a BIG impact.

We grew up in a science lab/prison called "The school." In cages. Like Fucking lab rats. It's a wonder how we speak, or even think, at all. But we can - and so much more you can't even imagine.

There is one other sick experiment you need to know about. Well… one other that made it past infancy. Half human, half wolf, yet all predator… the Erasers. Yeah, they're tough, smart, hard to control. All that jazz. Look human most of the time yet when they get in the mood, or even feel like it, they are capable of morphing into wolfmen. I guess kind of like a werewolf but know exactly what and when they are doing something. And yes, they are complete with the fur, claw, and fang package. The school tends to use them as guards, police, - and executioners.

To them, we're six moving targets, prey smart enough to be a challenge. They want to rip out our throats out. And make sure the world never knows we exist. And there you have it. Our past and our threats. Or at least part of it.

Now I'm not lying down yet. I'm telling you, right? This story could be about you, or your children. If not today, then soon. So please take this seriously. I'm risking everything that matters to me by telling you. But you need to know.

So keep reading. And don't let Anyone stop you.

-Fang. And my family: Max, Iggy, Nudge,

the Gasman, and Angel

Welcome to our Nightmare.

—

 **Ok, there you go that was the prologue, now here is Chapter 1.**

—

 **Chapter 1**

Do you know what's fantastic about being a mutant freak thanks to some crazy butt hole scientists is? You get to run from some other mutant freaks made by crazy butt hole scientists! Do you know what's great about life and death situations? You automatically become better than your usual self. You're able to get a feel for your life situations. Don't believe me? Take what's happening right now for example.

"Ok listen to me, Fang. I am going to unlock the cage. You are NOT going attack me, and I need you to run over to Iggy. Lead him out towards the back doors. You'll find Max on the way who is going to have all the keys you need. All labeled. When you get out the back doors get into the black Chevrolet Camaro ok? Max also has a picture of it if you need extra reassurance. It will be towards the back exit from the parking garage."

Usually, I would get back against the back of the cage and try not to leave my horrible cage for a home. But Jeb always helped Iggy and I. And Max. I have only seen her a couple of times, but she seems trustworthy and is someone like us.

I nodded ready to run for not only mine but Iggy's life as well.

"Good," Jeb said "I will meet you there. Run and don't stop for anyone or anything except Max and Iggy. I have temporarily turned off the silent alarms, but guards will still be patrolling so be careful. When you leave the building, however, alarms will ring, and you will only have a minute to unlock, get in, and lock the door of the car."

"Ok' I croaked. My voice was sore from the horrible food they gave us and the yelling I did during their awful tests. But I would have to speak often for my blind brother Iggy.

"Alright. It's going to be ok. I promise. Now let's go." Jeb had stated while trying to unlock our cages. As soon as the door open, I burst out running toward Iggy. I grabbed his hand and said a short "Ready?". He nodded and starting jogging down the corridors not really caring where that scientist was. He may have let us out, but for all, I know it could be another test, but if there is a way out, you can bet I'm gone.

I rounded a corner only to stop in my tracks having Iggy fall to the floor in confusion. Right in front of were to guards. They were talking about some 'new experiments.' I looked down at Iggy in time to place my hand over his mouth. I whispered as quietly as possible a moved his head forward "Guards." I ran my hand, and he closed his mouth. I helped him off the floor, and we walked backward slowly down the corner. We jogged as quietly as possible into a hallway we had ignored.

We kept going for a while following the occasional signs towards what we thought was the backdoor to the parking garage. We stopped to rest when we heard something.

"Subject 20394, 20396 and 20401 are missing from their cages." It came from a deep voice. I looked behind the corner we had just run from and found a guard walking out of a doorway. "We had just gone in to collect them for the next test, and they were gone. Security cameras and silent alarms had been shut down. Someone must have tampered with them" He spoke into a microphone, probably whatever those devices they used to communicate. I think they called it a Walkie Talkie — something stupid like that.

"Impossible! Are you sure? Check again." This time it came from the device — another male voice but not nearly as deep or gruff. "Yes, I'm sure boss. I have called out the men to do a full search and security reboot".

"Good." With that, the conversation ended, and I whispered to Iggy to the location of the closest hiding spot. He found it easily. I pulled off one of my catheters used for experiments in my arm and threw it down the other hallway and dove next to Iggy. My arm had started bleeding a bit, but by now I was used to my blood. The Guard had turned around and started walking down the hallway.

Just as he started to pass by our hallway and stopped, he took in a deep breath and… Growled?! I felt Iggy flinch but before he could say something I covered his mouth with a finger signaling silence. The guard turned down the hallway. He walked by and stated, "Come out, come out wherever you are!" He smiled.

"I know you're there… the air reaks of fear." I watched as his feet walked past us. We waited as the seemingly never-ending silence dragged on. I pulled Iggy's arm, and we both crawled out. And I looked down the hallway. I turned around to head the opposite direction of him.

When we turned around, just as if we were in some cliché movie trip, he was there. I watched as transformed into a wolf-like form. Teeth formed into fangs. Nails, claws. Hair appeared in places it shouldn't have. He gave off a hiccuping rumbling sound in his throat almost like a laugh, it seemed wrong to me but who knows, after all, we have been cooped up in this place our whole lives, where people rarely laughed or smiled. We screamed and ran until we ran into a door. The exit! We burst through just to run into more Erasers and a captured human who was referred to as Max.

 **Well, there you go! Chapter one. I hope you liked it. Chapter two will be up soon. I am going to work on it as soon as this is posted. So hang tight! Bye now!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! I know it has been a little while since my last update, I'm sorry about that. Life just kind of got in the way. But that isn't an excuse I know. I am going to try to keep up with the due dates from now on!**

 **And shout out to YooHomeslice. Who lefts a wonderfully nice Review and proved that at least someone has been reading :) So tysm for that boost of encouragement and beautiful words!**

 **Anyway here you go:**

Chapter 2

My eyes jolted open. My heart raced as a cold sweat clung to my body. Although this didn't surprise me. I knew it was just a simple nightmare. They happened quite often now. And just like Max and Iggy. But like always, I looked around making sure. I was safe. No scientist, no erasers, no danger.

I hate nightmares, but then again who doesn't? What I don't understand, is why they always had to be about then, before we were free. When we were nothing more than lab rats. Maybe I am being too harsh or gloomy, but that is all it was. Perhaps I should try Max's method. Pep talks and self-notes. Just because it doesn't work for her doesn't mean it won't work for me.

But enough of that. Another day, another adventure. I sat up slowly and did some weird breathing technique I read in one of the books we had to calm myself. Surprisingly, it works. I am not sure how but managed to get stand up and get dressed. I was so tired and shaken that I was running on what I like to call "auto-pilot." I believe it was my usual attire — a pair of dark navy blue jeans and a black T-shirt with white socks. I then turned to look out my window. I don't like to admit it, but it was a breath-taking view. From my wall-sized window - you know the ones that are huge and where a wall should be? The weird ones? Yeah, one of those - I could see the sun creeping above the tips of the mountains flooding the dark forest canyon with light. And on bright days like this, I can see the birds fly from their homes in the trees up into the sky if I'm up early enough. Every morning. High on a mountain safe from the dangers of the world. Just my family and I. It's a sweet life.

Now your probably wondering why we got blessed with the beautiful view in a house in the middle of nowhere with not one adult. It's sad but relatively straightforward. After Jeb - more on him later - saved us from "The School" he brought us here. A house he built for us high in the mountains of Colorado. Our house was built like a letter E on its side supported by large poles — lots of poles. Part of the house where Max's, Iggy's and my room stood was barely hanging over the side. As Iggy once mentioned (that Max stole) it feels like we were floating when looking over the side. The house was made of wood, stone, and glass. The whole front of the house - except for the parts where walls parted the rooms- looking over the canyon was made of glass. The walls were stone and in some parts wood. The flooring had been wood as well with carpet in places like bedrooms, and living rooms. The interior was like a typical cabin in the woods except huge and on a mountain.

Back to the no adults/Jeb deal. When we were still at "The School," Jeb Batchelder had helped get Iggy, Max and I out of there and brought us here. Over the years he trained us, taught us to fly, and later brought the other three here too, Nudge, and the only two of us who are biologically related, The Gasman and Angel. Jeb took care of us; he was our dad in shining armor. But he had gone missing two years ago, we all know he's dead, but we never said it or brought any bit of the past back to the present like a secret unsaid rule of the house. So now we are by ourselves. Our survival rests on Max's shoulders being she is oldest. If something were to happen to her being the second oldest, it would fall on me. She also seeks advice from me at times but don't ask her - she would never admit it.

There you have out backstory said and done and more! So, let's get on with life. I drew a comb through my hair a few times. Still hideous but one can only do so much I guess. As I walked through the door, I could hear Max and Gazzy talking, probably something about breakfast and good mornings. I rounded a corner only to run into a very tired Iggy.

"What was that for?!" Iggy growled.

"Sorry, I was lost in thought" I mumbled.

He kept walking rubbing his head slightly. I silently follow but stopped just before the stairs and listened. Iggy fell onto the couch perfectly - not surprising, the only problems he tends to have being blind is when we forget to tell him we moved the furniture around or something - I could hear Max give a good morning to him.

"Hey, Ig, rise, and shine," she said.

He sleepily mumbled, "bite me." in response. I grinned a little waiting for the reaction of Max.

"Fine, miss breakfast."

And with that, she started walking off towards the fridge. By now I was down the stairs and next to Iggy. I could tell by the slight line of sweat on her forehead she had also woke from a nightmare. If I had to guess, it was probably the one that she has had often where she runs off a cliff and jumps, escaping last second. Otherwise, she would be more shaken up. Better than mine at least. I decided to mess with her a bit, something she didn't particularly love but it amused both of us, I felt my mood enlighten slightly.

 **There you have it! Chapter 2, I hope you like it. I plan Chapter 3 to be up by July 2nd (Monday) but please don't be surprised if it doesn't show up until the 3rd. Something may come up that can stop me from uploading it XD Just a quick note, I see fang with hair with the back in layers down to his shoulders and getting slightly shorter from the way up. Kind of like the image of the story cover. If you disagree I'm sorry, please don't hate me. It's why I said comb instead of brush when he had combed his hair. Anyway, that's all I have to say, bye now!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter and on time! Surprising, I know. I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Chapter 3**

I silently walked forward from my place by Iggy towards Max. She was looking in the fridge for something the food the "Food Fairies" had left, something she mumbles about at times. I walked right behind her staring into the refrigerator and breathed out. I could see the hair on her arms stand up and she straightened her posture and turned around

"Will you quit that?" She said, glaring at me. I had a habit of silently, and most often randomly, showing up somewhere. Or at least according to the others.

"Quit what?" I calmly stated. "Breathing?" She rolled her eyes and simply replied with a "You know what." Something that I found rather amusing was going behind Max and maybe saying something like "What are you looking at" or "Hi." But it was morning, so I figured just breathing was good enough. She hated it. I would to it to the others but you just can't. Iggy is blind, and it's just not right. Besides with his hearing, it would be impossible — the same thing with little Angel and her mind-reading abilities. As for Nudge, she doesn't stop talking long enough to notice and Gazzy well, word of warning. NEVER stay behind him too long. Stay upwind. It's safer to trust me.

I looked down at Max and grinned slightly, but my face went back to its usual self within seconds although I am a mere four months younger than her I was a good four inches taller, as was Iggy. Speaking of him I noticed he had gotten up and grunted.

"I'll make eggs." He stated. Now if we were a normal family, it would bother us that our blind brother is cooking. But we aren't so it doesn't bother us that Iggy is making our breakfast. But trust me, you DO NOT want Max in the kitchen trying to make eggs. I watched him start when Max, who must have been surveying us and the breakfast preparations, said "Fang? You set the table. I'll go get Nudge and Angel" As soon as she left I groaned in my head. I almost wished she wouldn't. Don't get me wrong I love them just as much as everyone else, and I actually like to hear what Nudge has to say. But sometimes like this morning, I didn't want to listen to the endless wonders of Nudge's words, and I really didn't want Angel going inside my head, forcing me to watch my thoughts. But I couldn't stop her.

When they got back, The Nudge Channel was on full blast about a dream she had, and Angel was making shapes with her food. Max watched Angel smiling and occasionally helping her make shapes. While Max never said anything we all knew Angel was her favorite. But then again she was an innocent little girl. Sweet, kind, and lovable. So who could blame her? Nudge stopped talking now, and Angel was eating again. We sat in silence for a while when suddenly.

"I want to go pick strawberries today," Angel said firmly looking up from said eggs. "They're ripe now." She stuck another scoop of her breakfast into her mouth

"Okay, Angel, I'll go with you" Gazzy replied and then let out one of his "unfortunate occurrences" as Max says and giggled.

"Oh jeez, Gazzy," Max said with a disapproving frown.

"Gas . . . mask!" Iggy gasped pretending to suffocate grasping at his neck. I stuffed my mouth with what was left on my plate and swallowed not bothering to chew.

"I'm done," I said quickly taking my dishes to the sink. Gazzy automatically replied with "Sorry" but still kept eating. He looked up at me with his bright blue eyes and grinned before continuing.

"Yeah, Angel," Nudge said scowling. "I think the fresh air would do us all good. I'll go too."

"We'll all go," Max said. i thought about these immediate plans and got some ideas. Maybe I can throw a strawberry at someone and start a food fight. I grinned at the thought.

We quickly cleaned up after ourselves got dressed and left. My hair was combed a bit better now, and I had sneakers and a light black hoodie on now. I looked at the others; Nudge was wearing shorts and spaghetti straps with sneakers, a ponytail, a bracelet, and a necklace. Iggy was in a white T-shirt, jeans and sneakers. Max was in jeans, a sweater-shirt thing. Sneakers again. Gazzy had the same thing as Iggy, but a green hoodie over it and little angel was in a cute summer dress.

With strawberry baskets in hand, we followed as Angel led us to a patch of strawberry bushes. I started picking the sweet berries occasionally eating a couple. I overheard other conversations. "If you make a cake, I can make strawberry shortcakes," Angel said happily.

"Yeah, that'll be the day, when Max makes a cake.," I had heard Iggy say "I'll make it Angel." Only it didn't come from Iggy's direction, I looked over at Gazzy and grinned.

Max whirled around and exclaimed "Oh, thank you! Okay, I'm not a fabulous cook. But I can still kick your butt, and don't you forget it!" Iggy laughed putting his hands up in defense, while my grin grew to a smile. Gazzy must have looked guilty however because Max had asked him.

"Was that you?" He shrugged trying not to look overly pleased with himself. The Gasman had been about 3 when Max realized he could mimic almost any sound or voice. We had lost count how many times Iggy and I had nearly come to blows over stuff Gazzy said in our voices. It was a dark gift which he happily wielded. It was nothing more than another uncanny ability. Most of us had one, and it made life more interesting.

Next, to Max, Angel froze and screamed. Startled we stared at her, and in the next second, men with wolfish muzzles, huge canines, and reddish, glinting eyes dropped out of the sky. Erasers. And it wasn't any form of a dream. I dropped my basket of strawberries on high alert glaring as I got into a fighting stance - after all, Jeb had taught us to screw thinking, just acting.

 **Ta-Da! Chapter three. It took me about an hour and a half or so to complete and revise. Have a happy 4th of July! Bye!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone, welcome to Chapter 4! I hope you enjoy the story!**

 **Chapter 4**

An Eraser landed on top of me, knocking my breath out. I quickly rolled it off and jumped to my feet, I then proceeded to punch its muzzle. The power behind my punch forced his head to the side before it turned back growling. It threw a series of punches at me, dodging some, blocking others until he roundhoused me in the stomach. I Felt my breath knocked out of me, but this only made me want to fight harder. Still, out of breath, I kicked the Eraser's knee knocking it off balance knowing my breath has almost returned. I was just about to break his neck when suddenly two more hit me bringing me to the ground. The two growled at me as my legs kept one off of me and my left arm trying to deal with the other. It was somewhat, but he couldn't do much with the first on me. The third eraser got up and punched just as my legs gave out bringing the second down. I forced my legs up to bring the Eraser down to meet the other. While those two were scrambling to get untangled, I punched the third hard in the snout with a massive *CRACK* sound. His nose bled, and he whimpered some, I knew I had broken his nose, he stumbled away some to deal with his nose before I quickly snapped his neck and grabbed a nearby branch from the strawberry bushes and brought it through the two Erasers whom just got up. Somehow it managed to knock one out, and I quickly pulled away forcing the branch into the other's chest. He wasn't dead and but he was sure to die from blood loss. To make his death quicker, I pulled the branch out before turning around.

I looked over in time to see Iggy trying his best to uphold against two Erasers. I ran over round-housing a kick to one's stomach. I moved on by bringing my elbow to its head knocking it out. I looked over and saw Iggy had taken care of the other before I yelled: "Behind you Ig!" As an Eraser ran up to him. He quickly spun on his heels to continue to fight. I turned around only to be punched in the face by one furry paw. My head was knocked back making he stumble. Blood rushed into my mouth as I bit my tongue on accident from the force. He then swiped my legs knocking me over. I landed on some sort of rock and pain rocketed through my body. Forcing an *Oof* sound out. Groaning some, I looked over to see Gazzy knocked out cold and Max, who I suppose was trying to get to him, ended up on the ground gasping yet glaring at the Eraser responsible. I heard Angel scream and looked over to see Nudge crying I was about to run over when the Eraser grabbed my shirt and pulled me back. I fought back almost immediately although he was prepared. By the time I had taken care of him Max was screaming in an Eraser's ear-popping the eardrum.

Angel screamed"Max!" her voice shrill and terrified. An Eraser had her by the arms just as I was about to go help her Iggy yelled for my help. I knew Max would get to Angel before I, so I turned to go help Iggy only to be smashed by three Erasers knocking me down. I growled, blood seeping down from my head. I struggled against them although this time I was stuck. Iggy, Nudge, and Gazzy were knocked out. I watched as Max jumped over Iggy's unconscious body, but she too was brought down by Erasers. Her eyes went up to where Angel was, my sight followed to where we saw her shoved into a sack by three Erasers.

"Get off me, you stupid, freaking —" She choked and was once again slammed down. An Eraser leaned over her, bloodied and sweating, no doubt it stank. I listened and watched angrily as Angel was entirely forced into the burlap sack as it spoke.

"Max," he said. I could feel my stomach react poorly. Did she know him? "Good to see you again," he continued conversationally. "You look like crap. You always acted so much better than everyone else, so this cheers me up." I could feel myself growl like one of those mutts. He and every other Eraser here was really pushing my patience. No one should ever speak to Max like that.

"Who are you?" She gasped. The Eraser grinned, his long, sharp teeth barely fitting in his jaw. "You don't recognize me? I guess I've grown some." "Well, no dip Sherlock," I thought, you just went from human to werewolf! I watched as her eyes suddenly opened, horrified. I didn't hear what she said next, but it looked something like "Ari."

He laughed like a person gone mad as he moved to stand, I watched as his black boot came at her head. Her head lashed to the side. She was out cold. My last thought before rage clouded my mind was "If she is right and that was Ari. He has had one hell of a growth spurt. Ari was Jeb's son. And he was only seven…"

My mind went cloudy with rage. That asshat had directly insulted Max in ways that were beyond unacceptable. They took Angel, and he and his little "Buddies" almost killed over half the flock! Then he proceeded to kick her! I yelled "Arrrgh!" as I somehow found the strength to roll the mutts off me. I fought harder than ever ignoring every hit, every kick. It was like a movie. Kicks, punches, bites were thrown at each other. In the end, the three that held me and 4 others were dead. But despite my best efforts, they got away with Angel. When I had calmed down enough I looked around, first things first. I know Max would have gone after AngeI, but we are no good to her in this condition. I went around waking everyone up and doing my best to help them while I could. I felt so guilty… I was awake when no one else was. I was able to fight, and I still couldn't get Angel back. I felt my eyes water for the first time in years. But now wasn't a time to cry.

I shoved my feelings down and continued to wake Iggy and Nudge. I quickly assessed out injuries, Iggy's eye was swollen shut some. Nudge's head was bleeding from when she was knocked out, it looked worse than it was due to it being a head wound, but the blood loss was worrying. I took off my hoodie and sat her up against a rock, I told her to keep the pressure on it. My lip was cracked, and my head had stopped bleeding from when I hit that rock. Gazzy didn't seem to have anything too bad. All of our bodies were ridden with cuts and bruises.

I left Gazzy and Max down as Gazzy would be heart Broken about his biological sister gone because of me, and Max would go absolutely ballistic. I helped Iggy up, and he agreed to help me throw the bodies in the canyon. When we were done, I woke up Gazzy. We waited a couple minutes until I couldn't deal anymore. I had to wake Max. She would have woken me up a long time ago, and I needed to face the truth and let her know if I could that I let them get Angel.

"Max?" Gazzy said. Gazzy and I looked over her shaking her shoulder and saying her name. She made a low moan and opened her eyes.

"I'm okay" she croaked. Her eyes opened wide. She must have remembered. "Where's Angel? Her voice strained with worry. I Locked eyes with her. I know they must have been dark and sad, just as I felt.

"She's gone, they took her." I am impressed my voice was a steady as it was. She looked like she would faint again. She told me once about when she was nine she could remember looking out the window of The School, watching new Erasers chase and hunt monkey through the halls. Their screeches of pain and fear. And now Angel was there. If they had taken me at least, I might have a chance - maybe. She got up, her legs shaking. Max leaned against me, I felt my heart speed up slightly, but I ignored it like every other time it does. I knew she hated feeling so weak and helpless. I knew what she would want to do - she would try to get her back before they got too far away. While Iggy and I dumped the bodies I remember seeing them once or twice, they were moving rather slow, or at least that is how it seemed. It's only been about 10 min, so I would say they got maybe 1 or 2 miles away - easy catch-up… if everyone was ready for a chase.

"We've got to get her before they…" She stopped before continuing.

"Check in, guys - you up for a chase?" She looked around finally staying upright by herself.

"Yes," Nudge said in a tear-choked voice.

"I'm up," Iggy said standing up. Gazzy slowly nodded. To our horror tears started to swell in Max's eyes but she quickly wiped them away. Iggy then cocked his head slightly. It was a clue for us to stop and listen. Eventually, we all heard it too. A soft engine noise. "There!" Iggy yelled.

 **And there you have it! Chapter 4. I am not the best at action fight scenes and had to improvise on parts the book doesn't mention Fang is in or doing, but I think it works out okay. Anyway yeah. I am going to start chapter 5 ASAP so it should up soon. That's all that needs to be said - Bye!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Here is chapter 5 I hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 5**

We all ran painfully toward the sound. After a hundred yards we came across a sharp drop-off at least fifty feet above an old, unused logging road. I noticed Max was looking intensely in one area and I looked over there. I saw it too. A black Humvee dull with dust and mud driving down the old road. My heart pounded In my chest. There's a chance we can undo my mistake!

"Let's get her!" Max cried, and backed up about ten feet, she ran to the edge and simply jumped off. She began to fall toward the road before unfurling her 13-foot wingspan, not so gracefully, catching the wind. She gave a hard flap to her wings and began to fly. Yeah, you heard me right. She started to fly. Wings and a couple other things are the side effects we got to being a living experiment.

Let me explain, the nightmare I had along with others is a part of my life, or at least it was. My family and I, Max, Iggy, Gazzy, everyone, really did use to live at some hospital that was practically oozing evil from it called The School. We are 6 test tube babies that had avian DNA grafted into our DNA by scientists, which we call, whitecoats. We don't know for sure that we are test tube babies, but it is the nicest way for us to think, because then questions like, 'Why didn't my parents keep me?' And 'Was I not good enough? Did they not love me?' And more to arise. Jeb had been a whitecoat, but he'd felt sorry for us, cared about us, and kidnapped us away from there. Now we are bird kids, a flock of six. The School wanted us back, and Erasers wanted us dead.

"Alright everybody let's go!" I yelled, and Nudge jumped off with Iggy following. Gazzy looked up at me then jumped off as well. I followed him being the last to jump in case anyone came from behind us. We flew into a tight formation behind Max swerving towards the car. I quickly dove grabbing a dead branch and landed on the of the vehicle. I smashed the windshield with the branch breaking it. The vehicle swerved almost knocking me off. A gun barrel poked out of the passenger window. I could hear bullets knocking against trees as it, and a few others shot at the flock. Within seconds we could all smell hot metal, and smoke fill the air.

I looked back as everyone backed into the tree line. I hope they can track the car from there. I bang the branch into the windshield again and quickly surged away before they could hit me.

"Angel! We're here! We're coming for you!" Max screamed. I looked forward and saw a clearing with a faint outline of a chopper. The Humvee continued to drive.

"Up ahead," I called, and Max looked up to see the helicopter. She made eye contact with me, and I nodded. Our chance to get her back was when they moved her from the car to the chopper.

Everything happened so fast, it was like a dream or TV show almost, the car braked sliding to the mud. The door opened as an Eraser jumped out. I quickly folded my wings dropping on him before recoiling with a yell. I looked over, my arm was dripping blood. The Eraser ran past me throwing himself into an open hatch in the chopper. A second Eraser, snarling revealed his yellow fangs, leaped from the car into the air yelling something. I quickly punched the remaining Erasers in the vehicle before closing the door, I held it shut quickly turning my head around to see Nudge shouting. She grabbed Iggy's hand and pulled backward in the air as a grenade exploded in front of them. More Erasers were coming quickly, I watched as Max flew from the trees chasing the helicopter. "Go get her back Max, we got your back" I mumbled and shot a few warnings to the others and ran to take flight as the Erasers in the Humvee pushed out. Punches, kicks, yells, howls, were thrown everywhere.

I turned around to help Iggy, only to see Max dangling from the chopper with a gun to her face. Ari said something to her and just as he was about to pull the trigger… she let go. I flew towards Max as fast I could, when I was about 10 feet away she opened her wings and glided to the ground. I followed, and when we got back, the remaining Erasers were either dead or knocked out.

Since we all have raptor vision (another "side effect") we pain-killingly watched as the chopper took Angel away much longer than the average human. I knew that Max and Gazzy were taking this the hardest. Gazzy, who just lost his sister, and Max who had taken care of Angel since she was a baby with chicken wings.

"They have my sister!" Gazzy howled, throwing himself to the ground. He pounded the dirt with his fists crying. I knelt beside him and placed my arm around him, He was only eight. He always tried to be the tough guy, but it's hard seeing your sister his sister, blood and all, kidnapped by hellhounds.

"Max, what are we gonna do?" I looked up at Nudge who's face was flooded with tears. "They have Angel," And without a word, Max pushed off the ground with her wings and flew out of sight.

Everyone immediately looked at me. 'Shit,' I thought. Ok if Max couldn't fly away what would she do? Probably yell in frustration then cry. Not my thing. Alright. I had a hard time thinking, Max was gone, Nudge and Gazzy freaking out and Iggy just being… Iggy. I felt like crying, but no tears came. Angel was gone, it was my fault, and I blew it even when I had a second chance. I can cry later, but right now its everyone else's turn.

I looked at Iggy and said, "Can you watch them while I check to see the Erasers are dead?" He nodded at me, and I flew off to check them all. I quickly checked the bodies. I killed any of them that had been knocked out. The animals can take care of the rest I hope. I flew back to others and got them home. We bandaged ourselves up some stopping anything major, but we stopped halfway through, ignoring smaller cuts. By now my sorrow had changed to anger at myself.

When Max got home, we all just sat there with only a few words being exchanged here and there. I kept mumbling to myself although no one said anything, maybe they just didn't notice. Iggy howled and swiped his hand across the counter which sent a mug flying through the air and landed on the side of my head.

"Watch it, idiot!" I yelled angrily. I realized what I said seconds after, clenched my teeth and looked over catching Max's eye. I rolled my eyes at her. I noticed tears were still streaming down her cheeks and instantly felt bad. I walked away and stared at the wall cursing myself out in my head with my fists clenched.

 **Alright, Chapter 5 is done, hope you guys enjoyed, until next chapter. Bye!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm back with Chapter 6! Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 6**

Max got the 1st aid kit and started fixing up Gazzy and Nudge farther than we did while I was busy cursing myself at the wall.

"You watch it!" Iggy shouted at me. "What happened? I mean you guys can see can't you? Why couldn't you get Angel?"

Needless to say, this really didn't help my guilt, anger, or my need to punch something. But I can't be mad at him. He is right. It's my fault. I was so busy beating Erasers I let them get away with Angel. And when I had the chance to do something again for a second time. I blew it. Angel is gone, not because of the Erasers, not because of the flock, but because of me. Before I could say something, Gazzy piped up.

"They had a chopper!" He yelled, squirming out of Max's reach. "And guns! We're not bulletproof!"

"Guys! Guys!" Max yelled. "We're all upset. But we're not the enemy! They're the enemy." She said sticking the last band-aid on Gaz. "Just… be quiet for a minute so I can think," she said more calmly.

I looked around and saw Iggy moving to the couch about to sit on Nudge. She scooted out of the way, and when he sat down, she leaned her head against him, Iggy, stroking her hair. I moved my eyes right back to Max. I felt a pain in my chest. She didn't know it, but I almost always knew what going on through her mind. First, probably something about it being her fault and she is blaming herself for letting go of the chopper when she was literally face to face with a gun. Second, she was thinking about how it was our fault why the kitchen is an absolute mess and how she would take care of that later.

"Take deep breaths," Gazzy said to Max. She looked like she was about to cry again. Probably thinking about how sweet he is that he is worried about her even though his sister was kidnapped. And then she looked at me. I stared expressionlessly as I opened a can of Ravioli to eat. When she looked at me, it was hard to guess about her thoughts. I don't know why though.

"You know, if they just wanted to kill her, or kill all of us, they could have," Nudge said her voice was shaking. "They had guns. They wanted Angel alive for some reason. And they didn't care if we were alive or not. I mean, they didn't go out go their way to sure we were dead, is what I'm saying. So that makes me think we have time to go after Angel again."

"But they were in a chopper," Gazzy stated. "They're way gone. They could be anywhere." His bottom lip trembled, and his jaw had clenched. "Like, China or something." By the end of his sentence, I was done piecing things together. The more I think about it, Nudge is right. If death is what they wanted, death is what they would have gotten, what we would have gotten. So why did they want Angel? Why did they need Angel? Within seconds it became clear to me. Something about her must be essential for them too. For The School. That's where they're taking her. That's where she is.

Max went over and ruffled his messy blonde hair. "I don't think they took her to China, Gazzy."

"We know where they took her," I stated simply. Calmly even. I decided to be no longer angry and guilty. It isn't my or Max's fault. Even if it was, it doesn't matter, getting her back is what matters. I knew my words had hit them like a stone.

Iggy raised his hand. "Where's that?" He asked. My eyes met Max's.

"The School," We said at the same time. As expected, that went over like a Semi Vs. A Human. In other words, Chaos.

Nudge gasped her hand flying over her mouth and eyes widening. The Gasman look terrified, and Iggy's spine had tightened, his face like ice. I understood his pain. Not from experience but from the fear. When he was there, we had to have been about 4 or 5. They tried to enhance his night vision surgically and now… now he was blind forever. We shared rooms when in our crates. I can still hear his crying, his screaming of pain when he had woken in his crate, eyes painful and unfunctional. He breaths, movements, and adjustments of fear. I can remember sitting in the crate next to him speaking to him trying desperately to aid him. Reaching through the bars holding his hand. Attempting to comfort him. "It's ok, It's going to be ok. I promise, I am right here, Always have been and always will. You're my brother" I said. "Let's go to sleep now, everything will be better in our dreams. Ok?" "Ok" he would reply. As we got older, he would ask questions like "What do we look like?" "Has the tree leaves changed yet?" It was hard, but we got through. He never knew and still doesn't, but I was just as afraid as he was. I have changed now though. Only Iggy and occasionally Max get to see that side of me. However, as we have gotten older, it has been no one.

"They took Angel back to the school?" Gazzy asked, confused.

"I think so" Max had said. I could tell she was trying to sound orderly and attempting not to scream.

"Why?" Nudge whispered. "After four years, I thought maybe they had forgotten —" She sounded scared. But who wouldn't?

"They want us back" I replied. The topic of The School was something we never really spoke about. Outta sight outta mind. It really was a horrible place. For some more than others.

"They'll never forget about us. Jeb wasn't supposed to take us out of there," Max reminded them.

I continued her sentence with "Jeb knew they would do anything to get us back. If anyone ever discovered what they did to us, it would be the end of the School."

"Why don't we tell on them, then?" Nudge asked. "We could go to a TV station and tell everyone and say, Look, they grew wings on us, and we're just little kids, and —"

Iggy interrupted her. "Okay, that would fix them," He said, "But we'ed end up in a zoo."

"Well, what are we gonna do then?" Gaz was starting to get panicky. I got up and left while the others were speaking. I walked into an old room, one we all avoided at all cost except for an occasional clean and dust off. Which was like… a total of maybe 4 times in the past 2 years? I have no idea. I opened a drawer and picked up a pile of papers. They were yellowed, and some of the ink was beginning to fade. The edged were slightly chewed and damaged. I brought them back to the others and placed them on the coffee table and spread them out some. I swiped off a bit of mouse poo.

"Eew," Nudge said wiping her nose onto her sleeve. "Eew was that…" I interrupted her and said "Here," Pushing the pile of papers to Max. They were Jeb's old printed files. After his disappearance max moved everything into a back closet so we wouldn't have to look at it as well as clearing his desk. But I eventually got bored and curious and drugged some things out looking at them all. Some of the items were closed off with Wax or paper clips. Most of the final things I left alone as not to raise suspicion if for whatever reason anyone else went through it. Not that it matters, but I don't like big long conversations outside of my head, Except most of it was labeled. Vaguely, but still labeled. I placed some of the things such as these papers into his desk for easy access should we ever need them. Although most of it was still into the closet and if it hadn't been for the whole me not saving Angel and failing even with the rest of the Flock I was going to go through it some more.

I started to sift through the pile. I found the envelope sealed with a clump of wax. I looked up at Max, and with her small nod, I popped it open with my fingernail. "What is that?" The Gasman asked.

"Map," I stated simply. I pulled out a faded topographical drawing.

"Map of what?" Nudge leaned closer peering over my shoulder.

"Map of a secret facility," Max said. We both hoped we would never have to see this again. When Jeb was here, he showed us this Map before he left to get Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel out of the school in case he wasn't back and we needed to get them ourselves. By that time, of course, we knew how to fly, fight, and survive. When Jeb disappeared we sealed it and locked it away into the closet… only for me to get it out a month later. Oopsy.

"In California. The School." Max said again.

 **Ok, that's all for chapter 6, feel free to leave a review. Bye!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone, Chapter 7 is here!**

 **Chapter 7**

"Whaaat?" The Gasman squeaked. Iggy had gone paler than usual.

"That's where they took Angel," Max said. "And that's where we have to go to take her back." Nudge looked at her as if her brain was hitting overdrive.

"Oh, yeah." Is all she said. Or so we thought. About two seconds later she continued "We have to go get Angel back. We can't let her stay there - with them. They're monsters. They're going to do bad things to her. And put her in a cage. Hurt her. But there's five of us. So the rest of us have to go get hmph —". Max wrapped her hand around Nudge's mouth. She peeled her finger away. "Uh, how far is it?"

"Six hundred miles, more or less," I said before adding "At least a seven-hour flight, not including breaks," Iggy spoke next, he sounded… scared almost. I had heard it many times. But to the others, it probably sounded cautious or bossy.

"Can we discuss this?" He didn't turn his head. "We're way outnumbered."

"No," Max stated flatly scanning the map with me. We were both mentally mapping out possible routes, rest stops, and plan B, C's and D's.

"Can we take a vote? They had guns. And a chopper." Iggy replied. The edge to his voice was bound to be more noticeable now. Max's voice softened slightly when she looked up at him. "Iggy. This is not a democracy. It's a Maxocracy. You know we have to go after Angel. You can't be thinking that we would just let them take her. The six of us look after each other - no matter what. None of us are ever going to live in a cage again, not while I'm alive.

She took a deep breath before continuing, "But actually, Nudge, Fang, and I are going after Angel. You and the Gasman - I need you to stay here. Hold down the fort. On the off chance, Angel escapes and makes her way home." She finished. My mind, however, was not. Uh, what. She thinks that this is 1 going to go over smoothly, 2 Angel is actually going to make her way back. She is lucky to be alive right now, 3 the "fort" will stay down with them. I mean really, Iggy can be beyond responsible, but he is going to mad as well as Gazzy and considering their… reputation, it's gonna be blown away before we are done. I bet you. And 4 that all of us are ok with this!? I mean most of the time I agree with her, but this? Uh no. Not really, I was about to say something when Iggy beat me to it.

"You are so full of it," Iggy said turning towards Max. I looked up from my now empty can of ravioli, silently watching as it unfolded. "That's not why you want us here. Why don't you just say it?" His voice was cold. Challenging. I could see it in Max's face that she was worried about wasting time.

"Okay," She said in a placating tone. "It's true. I don't want you to come. The fact is, you're blind, and while your a great flier around here where you know everything, I can't be worrying about you in the middle of a firefight with the Erasers." Iggy's face quickly twisted into anger. I tensed my jaw to avoid saying anything. Even though her point was valid, I agreed that isn't fair. Not to Iggy, He can't help he's blind, and if she had spent a quarter of the time with him, she would let him come. Iggy opened his mouth to say something before being cut off again.

"What about me?" Gazzy squealed. Yeah, what about him Max? "I don't care if they have guns and a chopper and Erasers! She's my sister!" He continued. Max had a quick reply to him. She turned her head and spoke.

"That's right. And if they want her so bad, they might want you just as bad." She pointed out. "Plus, you're a great flyer, but you're eight years old, and we're going to be logging major hours." Another great point. That I agree with… just leave him with NUDGE! Nudge is only like what… 12 now? Although people don't want to admit it, including myself when I was that age, there isn't much of a difference. She is still a kid, and maybe she could go for a few more hours then Gazzy, enough before breaks, but still. And seven hours of the Nudge channel is a little too much for me. Sorry, Nudge. But I guess Max does have a fantastic point, so I think I have to agree with her.

"Jeb would never have made us stay," Iggy said quietly and angrily. "Never. Ever." Max pressed her lips together, I knew that bothered her, and she was doing her best I'm sure.

"Maybe not," she admitted. "We'll never know. Jeb's dead. Now everyone get your gear together."

The next 6 hours went by very quickly. And I stuffed a pair of clothes, a jacket, a small med kit, and some granola bars inside as well as two water bottles. And for a treat in case, it was needed, I hid a small chocolate bar inside. We left early the next morning after what Max hoped to be a good nights rest. Although I don't think any of us really got more than 2 hours of sleep. I know Gazzy, and I didn't. Gaz came into my room around midnight scared, so I calmed him. But he went to sleep for a little while afterward, I know. But I don't know what the future holds. And honestly? I'm scared, but I'm sure we can get Angel back with her being in the best possible health, We won't have to deal with the school, scientist or those filthy mutts for a while afterward, and the escape plans should go without too much of hitch. But boy, we were in for a ride and so much more.

 **Ok, that's Chapter 7, not my best but certainly not my worst. Ok before I say until next time, I want to know your opinion. Since everyone has begun the whole save angel thing in the actual book and this fanfic at this point I want to know- do you guys want me to include parts of the book that don't have Fang in it at all? For example, Chapter 14 (In the actual book) it describes what Angel is seeing and feeling, I know the book tells us how Iggy and Gazzy are doing when home alone and when Max meets Dr. Martinez and Ella, and more. Since these parts do not have Fang in them at all I can't add his point of view in so it would be word for word from the book almost, so if you would like to leave a review for your input that is fine, I have direct private messages to be enabled if you have an account on this website you can send one to me.**

 **That's all I have to say, see ya!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, everyone, I'm back, and I am really sorry it's been so long since I updated. Really am. It's been almost 2 weeks (13 days, yes I counted) and I am really sorry. But here I am!**

 **Ok, one of the things I would like to say is: No one left a review on whether or not I should include the chapters without Fang, nor did anyone PM me. So that leaves me to choose. So, please don't suddenly decide you found the buttons to message me or start complaining. I decided that I would include the chapters. I don't want to add it, as it plays an essential part in the story, I thought about changing it to the school's POV but then I would need to come up with OC's, personalities, plans, scenes, and more than as a new writer, I don't think I am ready for. Not only that, but I don't think I would be able to accurately convey the message/feeling of the school if that makes sense. I also don't want to over-complicate things. So what is going to happen instead, is that I am going to include these chapters just the way they are ABSOLUTELY DO NOT mean to do this in any way as claiming the words and whatnot as my own, just like the plot, characters, dialogue, and more in this story.**

 **Ok, that's all, again I am really sorry for not updating. Here's the next chapter!**

 **Chapter 8**

"We clear on plan B?" Max asked raising her voice so Nudge, and I could hear. We were headed towards the school which was located in Death Valley, California. Away from our home in the San de Cristo Mountains, towards the danger and horrors of our existence. I nodded in response to Max. As much as I love narrating my life and talking in my head. I rarely say anything out loud.

"Uh-huh," Nudge said. "If we get separated somehow — though I don't see how we could unless maybe one of us gets lost in a cloud or something — do you think that could happen? I haven't ever been inside a cloud. I bet it's creepy. Can you see anything inside a cloud —" Max shot her a look, and she paused before quickly finishing. "we meet up at the northmost point at Lake Mead."

Max nodded. "And where's the School?"

"In Death Valley, eight miles due north from the Bad-water Basin." Her mouth opened again to continue until Max raised her eyebrows to her. We all love nudge. She's a good kid. But that motor-mouth of hers could turn the holiest of saints into murders. "You got it" Max replied. "Good job." Max and I were talking one time when we heard about the address of the School. Perfect place for something as wicked as the School. Death Valley, right above Bad-water Basin. Amazing!

I glanced over at Max. She had a pair of black jeans and a white T-shirt on with a jacket over, she braided her hair to keep it out of the way, but the wind was undoing it sending chunks of long her to whip annoyingly in front of her face. She was probably thinking about cutting it short along with saving Angel. She also had a pair of sneakers double knotted to keep it tight, on her feet.

My attire was pretty much the same. I had a pair of jeans with a black T on. Black and white sneakers as well. Since my hair had some bangs that flowed over one eye more than the other, it was also whipping in my face with the wind. I had a black jean-jacket like thing on to.

I looked over at Nudge for a second as well. She had jean shorts on with a spaghetti strap and a jacket tied onto her waist. White sneakers with that check mark logo thing in black were on her as well. I forgot the brand name. Her hair had been brought back in a ponytail and somehow wasn't flinging around as much as Max's or mine.

I thought back to Iggy and Gaz. They weren't happy campers what so ever when we left them earlier this morning. I knew it probably the right decision, but that didn't stop me from feeling kinda sorry for them. That was a problem with being the leader. A problem I know Max dealt with daily however she doesn't want to admit it out loud. It isn't like a car or a board game that comes with instructions. But you just had to do your best and go with your gut.

As I was thinking about leadership and other things I noticed Max had looked at me and started flying closer. "On the plus side, flying is just really, really cool." She said. I half smiled at her. She was right. It is indeed really, really cool. We could see everything for miles and was free to do whatever we wanted. It's not like there speed limits for flying in the case of mutant bird people.

I looked down at her and saw she was looking at my wings. They were black like a crow or raven and glinted purple and blue in some angles when the sun hit them. "On the minus side, we're mutant freaks who will never live a normal life." She had told me.

I shrugged. "Win some, lose some." And it was true, that's how life is, according to the cartoons the kids watch, on the day of 'Halloween' you get to go around have fun, stay up from your bedtime and eat tons and tons of candy, but you wake up the next day tired and with the child's equivalent to a hangover. Max turned away from me, and I flew a little higher. I loved flying. It was amazing. I looked down at the world and thought it must be amazing to be a god if there is one. Seeing everyone and everything all day and night. No worries. But we have problems, unfortunately. Not just Angel but other things too. I had to worry about myself and the flock. Yeah, they can take care of themselves, but I don't know why but I can't help but not fear for them, I even worry about Max, sometimes I worry more for her than anyone.

I noticed Max looked over at Nudge, I smiled some. I'm proud of Nudge, she is still young just like the rest of us, just barely hitting puberty, and has managed to hold her own. She hasn't spoken much unless we talk first or she sees something exciting, like a wild dog or according to earlier, clouds.

We were flying a good 90mph, 110 when a good air current went by, but even that wasn't nearly fast enough. There's a lot that those sick excuses for humans could do in 7 hours. But with breaks included, there is so much more that they could do in (by my guess) 24. We have only been gone for about 2 hours, and I already feel a bit empty inside. Flying takes a lot of energy. But despite our urgent need to save Angel, we can't ignore our basic necessities to live. I knew Max, and I could hold on for at least another hour, hour and a half if we really pushed it, but Nudge may not be able to keep up that long.

I was still thinking when my ear caught a bit of the conversation between Max and Nudge. "I saw my name on a page, my real name, Monique, and then, like, some other people's names, and then — Tipisco, Arizona. Tipisco is right on the Arizona-California border - I found it on the map. Real tiny town, it looked like." Nudge said. Woah, I thought. Her real name? Her home town? And those other names must have been her parents… I never found that. Maybe Mine or Iggy's or Max's and everyone else names and homes are there! If that's true then… Nudge started talking again so I listened closely " Anyway, I was thinking, none of us never knew our real parents, and, you know, I've always wondered, but I guess the rest of you have too, like, whether they gave me up voluntarily or whether —" She was interrupted by Max.

"Nudge. I know how you feel. But those names might not have anything to do with you. We don't know if we were just Test-Tube babies or what. Please. Let's focus on rescuing Angel." She didn't get a response. "Nudge?"

"Yeah, okay, I was just thinking."

To be honest, I was kind of disappointed as well. I wanted to know the truth to where I came from. But I quickly realized after hearing Max's words, and everything I knew myself but had forgotten, she was right. She usually is after all. We need to focus on Angel. We can focus on family later.

I knew this was going to come back and bite her in the butt later and to be honest? The thought almost made me laugh.

 **Chapter 8 everyone! Again I am so sorry for not updating, but I will do my best! I have a general idea of how much homework I get every night, and I can make a schedule and everything around it. I will let you know once I get through it all. Ok? That's all for now. Bye :)**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	9. Chapter 9 - Angel chapter

C **hapter 9 is here. WOO. Ok so, this is gonna be one of those chapters without Fang in them. So if you don't want to read it, or don't care that's fine. Just skip to the next chapter if by the time your reading this it's up. Or go do something else… idk. Anyway, here you go, hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 9**

 ** _3rd POV, Angel's Experiments._**

Her mouth was so dry. Her head ached - everything ached. Angel blinked several times, trying to wake up. Above her was a dark brown plastic roof. A cage. A dog crate. A Kanine Kamper, size medium. Fuzzy thoughts pushed at her brain as she struggled to a sitting position. She knew where she was - she would recognize that chemical, disinfectant smell anywhere. She was at The School.

 _New new 'n' wings, and new new wings girl new._

Quickly, Angel turned in the direction of the thoughts.

In a crate next to hers were two other children, younger than she. Their eyes, too big for their hungry faces, locked onto her.

"Hi," Angel whispered. She didn't feel any whitecoats around - just the scrambled, incoherent thoughts of these kids.

 _Mouth noise girl wings new new_

The other children stared without answering. Trying to smile, Angel looked at them more closely. She thought they were both boys. One had rough, scaly skin - literally scaly, like a fish, but just in patches, not all over. Not a happy effect. The other one just looked like . . . A mistake. He had extra fingers and toes, and hardly any neck. His eyes were huge and bulging, and the hair on his head was sparse. It made Angel's heart hurt just to look at him.

"I'm Angel," she whispered again "Do you have names?"

 _Noise noise bad girl wings bad noise._

The two boys looked afraid, and they turned from her and edged farther back in their cage. Angel swallowed hard and was quiet. What had happened to Max and the others? Were they in cages too?

A door opened, and footsteps sounded on the linoleum floor. Angel felt the caged boys trembling with dread, crazed, swirling thoughts of fear crashing in their brains. They huddled together at the back of their cage. But the two whitecoats stopped in front of Angel's.

"Oh, my God - Harrison was right," one white coat said, hunching down to stare at Angel through the grate. "They got her! Do you ever read the Director's precept report about this recombinant group?"

"Yeah, but I wasn't sure I believed it," said the other whitecoat, a woman. "Are you saying this is Subject Eleven? This little girl?"

The first whitecoat rubbed his hands together with glee. "You're looking at it." He leaned forward to unlock her cage door. "Come on, little thing. You're wanted in lab seven.

 _Oh, yes! Man, when I section her brain . . ._

Angel winced, then rough hands dragged her out. Pathetic relief washed through the boys that it was she who was being taken and not them.

Angel didn't blame them one bit.

 **Ok, maybe I could leave this chapter of the story out, but I decided against it. It like every other chapter is essential. Anyway please don't flame me, again I DO NOT claim ANY of this to be mine. That's all for now, bye!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Ok, I'm back with another chapter, I said this stuff in the Authors Note already, but that will be deleted when this chapter is posted so here it is quoted:**

 **"** **Alright, jeez it's been FOREVER since I last updated and I am so sorry! I really have no excuses. For a little while there I was busy, but for a few months now, I have just been lazy, and I apologize. So here's the deal, I have kinda gotten out of writing and more into art these past few months, and because of that, I have become lazy. However, I am more than willing to start writing again! So I will update a few more chapters, I don't know when, but I do know one thing.**

 **I have gotten out of the Maximum Ride series so I can't promise updates will be very good and often. Due to this fact, if at any point in time you, my few readers who have stuck with me since the beginning have lost interest, and want me to discontinue I will. But I don't like it when a story is just left unfinished so I won't do that to everyone who is reading.**

 **I will first go back and re-upload all chapters, making them better since I have improved my writing (or so I feel) in these past few months. I may change things, in fact, I probably will, so if you are an old reader who has been here since I first started I recommend going back and re-reading for both a reminder and to see any changes made.**

 **I will try to keep up for anyone who wants me to, and I will update at least once a month. But if no one wants me to continue (that I see whether through reviews or PMs), then I won't. If I see people enjoying and wanting me to update more/continue, then I will until then expect only a once-a-month update unless I have a lot of time on my hands and are just bored.**

 **I have also decided to keep chapters where Fang isn't involved the same as they are in the book. I don't mean to do this in a bad way, and I don't mean to copyright at all. I don't own anything, I just don't want to complicate the story any farther or add things that aren't actually there. I had started to do this is one of the previous chapters, but that will be changed.**

 **The final thing I have to say is that I have some new story ideas, they are still in the planning stages so it will be a bit before they get posted but if you enjoy my writing keep a look out!**

 **That's all everyone, once again, thank you so much for your patience and for those who have left me good messages about my writing thank you, it makes me feel better and your part of the reason I am back into writing. For those who left reviews and messages on my mistakes in the story, thank you, I will be getting those fixed up when I re-do the chapters. Bye!"**

 **I have one more thing to say that I forgot to include in the author's note. All throughout April and early May, I have something called FSAs and EOCs for school. If you don't know what that is because you don't have it in your state/country/school, the FSA's is basically a bunch of tests on Math, Science, History/Civics, and English (Also known as language arts) that decide if I will be able to go onto the next grade, if my teacher did a good job teaching me, and if I should be in "advanced" classes. The EOC's are a bunch of tests on my classes that are called electives like Agriculture, Band, Art, PE and more. In my case, I have to take it in Spanish, Art, PE, and Digital Arts since those are my electives. This decides if I can move onto the next level in some of those classes, as well as if my teacher taught me well. That being said, these tests are super stressful and important to both my teachers and me as my teachers can lose their jobs if they didn't teach the students correctly, as far as I know, they can also have their pay cut.**

 **So, as promised I will update as much as I can since I won't have much homework, and more of just studying because of these tests but I can't make promises.**

 **That's all I have to say, sorry for the long "intro" I guess, but here is Chapter 10!**

 **Chapter 10**

"Max? I'm starving" Nudge said it has been hours since we left the house on our search for Angel, and it has been a little longer than that since we last ate. Flying takes a lot out of you even on short distances, but a seven-hour flight without breaks, six hundred miles, that is a long time.

Let me just give you a quick rundown on what is happening. Max, Nudge, Gazzy, Angel, Iggy and I (Fang) are 6 bird kids that were born in raised in a place called "The School" where scientist mess with DNA of humans and other animals. We escaped thanks to this really nice scientist named Jeb Batchelder saved us and brought us to a house he built in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains where we lived with him for the past 4 years or so. He taught us how to survive and protect ourselves. About 2 years ago he went missing, and we all assume he is dead. Well yesterday morning our youngest of our mix and match family, Angel, was captured by The School and now Max, Nudge and I are going to go save her with a very pissed off Iggy and Gazzy to stay behind due to Iggy being blind and Gazzy being biologically related to Angel and possibly being captured as well because The School might want him too.

So here we are, flying above a bunch of mountains in the middle of summer with 12-year-old Nudge hungry, 14-year-old Max who is also staving but probably doesn't want to give me the satisfaction of her breaking first and I, who is also starving, being too stubborn to talk or crack down and make them stop.

"Okay, okay. We need food." Max said. "Fang! We need refuel. Ideas?" I got started thinking, we didn't exactly pack all that much food ad we don't have money to buy anything. I have a few granola bars and chocolate, but that wouldn't be enough to hold even Angel off for more than an hour or so. I realized that according to our map we are flying over the San Francisco Peaks. I looked down at Max knowing she would have recognized the same thing by now.

"Ski slopes," Max said merely.

I nodded in agreement. "Summertime. Empty vacation houses."

"Would they have food?" Nudge as hungrily.

"Let's go find out," Max said with a shrug. We flew around in a circle at the edge of the mountains. These small towns and houses would be flooded with people in the winter, dotted with snowy peaks and cleared off area for cars and trucks. Max led us away from them, to where some houses became more spread apart but in a more orderly fashion. She noticed one house that was farther away from the others. There we no cars parked outside and no smoke from the chimney probably meaning nobody was home.

We dove down tucking our wings in some to slow down as we started to drop. We landed about a hundred yards away, and like every time we flew for hours, our legs felt weird. Like rubber. Max and Nudge shook them out, but I just ignored it. It also wasn't helping that we were all shaky from low blood sugar and I didn't want to risk falling or wasting energy. We pulled our wings in tightly against our lean bodies.

Slowly, we walked through the woods where no signs of life were present beyond us and the vegetation along with the occasional bird or squirrel. The porch and driveway of the house were slightly buried in pine needles, along with the hedges around it was overgrown. This showed that no one had been living here for some time now. Max crept up farther than the two of us before turning around giving Nudge a thumbs up. She smiled, and somehow, stayed quiet.

Max quickly did a once over revealing no apparent alarm systems and no lights blinking for motion detectors. Besides, this wasn't a house worth protecting, just a teeny-weeny cottage. I kept up behind Max with Nudge following close behind, with her pocketknife, Max slit one of the window screens and unhooked the latch. She quickly slid out the screen and carefully placed next to the house. I then helped Max with shaking the window frame until the lock on the window popped, showing that we could enter. I was the first to climb in with Nudge next with the help of Max. She then climbed in after closing the window again.

There were dust bunnies everywhere, the fridge was off and the door open. Max started to scan through the cupboards when she grabbed a dusty can of soup and held it up. "Bingo," she said. "Oh, yeah, pay dirt, woo-hoo!" She continued to pull things out such as cans of beans, fruit, condensed milk, and one of my personal favorites, ravioli. "We're golden!" Max exclaimed.

I moved around checking the cabinets she missed and found some old bottles of orange soda, so we popped them open and started eating. Half an hour later, Max and Nudge were sprawled out on the couches, all of our bellies way too full.

"Uhhnnhh," Nudge moaned. "I feel like, like concrete." I pressed my back against the couch I was sitting on and crossed my legs.

"Let's take ten, rest a bit. Digest a minute, we'll feel better." Eating food and soda from dusty cans that have been here for who knows how long probably wasn't our brightest idea.

"I second that emotion," Max muttered closing her eyes. All thinking the same thing before sleep overtook our bodies. _'We're coming, Angel. In a minute.'_

 **And there you have it! Again I am sorry for the delay in the chapters, but I hope you have enjoyed, until next time bye!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	11. Chapter 11 - Iggy and Gazzy chapter

**This chapter doesn't have Fang in it, so if you would like to skip it you can as it is found in the original book as Chapter 15. It is about Iggy and Gazzy and their experience if you would just like a quick reminder. Anyway, that is all, enjoy!**

 **Chapter 11**

"Let's throw all their stuff into the canyon," Iggy said angrily, punching the door frame.

Having to listen to the rest of the flock leaving while _he_ sat around being _blind_ was more than he could stand. "I think even their beds would out the hall window."

The Gasman scowled. "I can't believe _I_ have to stay home while they go off and save my own sister." He kicked a worn red sneaker against the kitchen island. The house seemed empty and too quiet. He found himself listening for Angel's voice, waiting to hear her singing softly or talking to her stuffed animals. He swallowed hard. She was his sister. He was responsible for her.

An open back of cereal lay on the counter, and he dug out a dry handful and ate it. Suddenly, he picked up the bag of cereal and hurled it at the wall. The bag split open and Frootios sprayed everywhere. "This _sucks!_ " The Gasman shouted.

"Oh, did that just occur to you?" Iggy said sarcastically. "I guess you can't fool the Gasman. He might not _look_ like the sharpest tool in the shed, but—"

"Shut up," said the Gasman, and Iggy raised his eye-brows in surprise. "Look. This sucks so bad. Max left us here 'cause she thought we couldn't keep up." Iggy's face stiffened. "But was she thinking about what would happen if the Erasers cam back here?" The Gasman asked. "Like, they got Angel not far from here — they _saw_ all the rest of us. So they know we must be somewhere in the area. Why wouldn't they come back for us?"

"Huh," Iggy said thoughtfully. "Course,, it would be hard to find this place, and even harder to get to it."

"Not if they have a chopper," The Gasman pointed out. "Which they do."

"Huh," said Iggy, and the Gasman felt proud that he had thought of all this before Iggy had, even though Iggy was older — as old as Max and Fang. Nearly ancient.

"Does that mean we have to sit here and take it?" The Gasman asked, pounding his fist on the counter. "No! We don't have to wait for the Erasers to come get us! We can do stuff! We can make _plans_. I mean, we're not useless, no matter what Max thinks."

"Right," said Iggy, nodding. He came to sit next to the Gasman at the counter, his feet crunching over dry cereal. "Yes, I see what you mean. So to speak,"

"I mean, we're smart! We're tough as nails! Max might not have thought about keeping the camp safe, but we did, and we can do it."

"Yeah, now you're talking. Uhhh . . . But how?"

"We could make traps! Do sabotage! Bombs!" The Gasman rubbed his hands together.

Iggy grinned. "Bombs are good. I love bombs. Remember the one from last fall? I almost caused and avalanche."

"That was to make a trail through the woods. Okay. There was a reason for it. Max approved it." The Gasman pawed through a hill of ancient newspapers, piled of junk, someone's old socks, a long forgotten bowl that had once held some sort of food substance — oops — until he found a slightly oil-stained memo pad.

"Knew it was around here," he muttered, ripping off used sheets. A similar search revealed part of a pencil. "Now. We need a great plan. What are our objectives?"

Iggy groaned. "Oh, now — years of Max influence are taking their toll. You sound just like her. You're like, a Maxlet. A Maxketeer. A . . . a . . ."

The Gasman frowned at Iggy and started writing. "Number one: Make Firebombs — for our _protection_ only. Number two: Blow up demonic Erasers when they return." He held the paper up and reread it, then smiled. "Oh, yeah. Now we're getting somewhere. _This is for you, Angel!"_

 **And… SCENE! There you go, Chapter 11. So I looked ahead some and Chapter 12 (Or chapter 16 in the original book) is another chapter without Fang, it is about Angel again like Chapter 9. Chapters like these don't take very long, so expect that soon.**

 **That said… I will see ya'll later!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	12. Chapter 12 - Angel chapter

**This chapter doesn't have Fang in it, so if you would like to skip it you can as it is found in the original book as Chapter 16. It is about Angel again, and her time in The School if you would just like a quick reminder. Anyway, that is all, enjoy!**

 **Chapter 12**

Angel knew she couldn't go on like this much longer.

Her lungs had started burning bad an hour ago; she hadn't been able to feel her leg muscles for longer that that. But every time she stopped running, a sadistic whitecoat — Reilly — zapped her with a stick thing. It jolted electricity into her, making her yelp and jump. She had four burn marks from it already, and they really, really hurt. What was worse was she could feel his eager anticipation — he _wanted_ to hurt her. Well, he could zap her a thousand million times, if he wanted. This was it — she couldn't go on.

It was a relief to let go. Angel saw the whole world narrow down to a little fuzzy tube in front of her, and then even that went gray. She sort of felt herself falling, felt her feet tangle in the treadmill belt. The zap came, once, twice, three times, but it felt distant, more an unpleasant stinging than real pain. Then Angel was lost, lost in a dream, and Max was there. Max was stroking her sweaty hair and crying.

Angel knew it was a dream because Max _never_ cried. Max was the strongest person she knew. Not that she had known that many people.

Ripping sounds and a new, searing pain on her skin pulled Angel back. She blinked into white lights. Hospital lights, prison lights. She smelled that awful smell and almost retched. Hands were pulling off all the electrodes taped to her skin, _rip, rip, rip._

"Oh, my God, three and a half hours," Reilly was murmuring. "And its heart rate only increased by seventeen percent. And then at the end — it was only in the last, like, twenty minutes that its peak oxygen levels broke."

 _'_ _It!'_ Angel thought and wanted to scream. " _I'm not an it!'_

"I can't believe we've got a chance to study Subject Eleven. I've been wanting to dissect this recombinant for four years," another low voice said. "Interesting intelligence levels — I can't wait to get a brain sample."

Angel felt their admiration, their crummy pleasure. They liked all the things _wrong_ with her, all the ways she _wasn't_ normal. And all this stupid long words added up to one thing: _Angel was an experiment._ To the whitecoats, she was a piece of science equipment, like a test tube. She was an it.

Someone put a straw into her mouth. Water. She started swallowing quick — she was so thirsty, like she'd been eating sand. Then another whitecoat scooped her up. She was too tired to fight.

 _'_ _I have to think of how to get out of here,'_ she reminded herself, but thoughts were really hard to string together right now.

Someone opened the door of her dog crate ad flopped her inside. Angel lay where she fell — at least she was laying down. She just had to sleep for a while. Then she would try to escape.

Wearily, she blinked and saw the fish boy staring at her. The other boy was gone. Poor little guy had been gone this morning, hadn't come back. Might not.

' _Not me,'_ Angel thought. _'I'm gonna fight. Right . . . after . . . I . . . rest.'_

 **All done, Chapter 12, hope you enjoyed. If you are waiting for Fang, don't worry! He is going to be in the next chapter, I promise. Chapters with Fang take a lot longer to complete than chapters without him, but I will have it out by the end of the week. Tomorrow I have one of my FSA's though, so wish me luck! I will be busy, and I have been, because of that. But, when I finish that I have until next month FSA/EOC free!**

 **That's all I have to say, bye!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Alright, Chapter 13 here you go! I honestly didn't think I would get this far, lol.**

 **I have nothing to say, so here you go!**

 **Chapter 13**

I stared at the ceiling above me, trying to wake up more. I didn't know what time it was, or what I was doing. Heck, I barely even knew where I was. I was about to close my eyes once more before waking up completely when I heard Max groan.

"Unhhh . . ." She moaned. I looked over to see her fluffing her pillow, only for dust to cloud the air around us. "Wah, ah, ah, choo!" She sneezed. Max then lost her balance on the couch and fell onto the floor with a crash.

"Ouch! Son of a gu —" She scrambled to get up, I watched just as confused as her, while we figured out where we were. "What the . . ." She said peering around the cabin. I looked back up at the ceiling as I remembered everything. The fights, the crying, Angels capture. I remembered the night before we left, the poor state Gazzy was in. I then remembered where we were, a cabin on a hill where people go for the winter to ski and have a vacation.

I then recalled about all we ate and how we fell asleep. I sucked in a breath. 'Ohhhh crap . . .' I thought as I started to sit up. On the recliner next to me Max was getting Nudge up, she seemed to be having a mini-panic attack.

"Nudge! Nudge! Wake up! Oh, man . . ." She yelled, shaking Nudge out of her unconscious state. I got a tickle in my nose as I sat up from all the dust that was shaken up from Max.

"Choo!" I quietly sneezed, before shaking my head and looking up at Max. "What time is it?" I calmly asked her, as she opened her mouth to respond; I got up and hurried over to the kitchen cupboards, going through them.

"Almost morning!" Max said, terribly upset. "Of the next day!" I turned over to a closet and pulled out a stained, smelly backpack. Shaking the dust off I then emptied the contents of my small bag and the cabinets of the kitchen inside. Cans of tuna, bags of crackers and trail mix went inside. Water bottle and Soda I found I shoved inside as well.

"Wha's happ'nin?" Nudge asked, groggily blinking and rubbing her little eyes.

"We fell asleep!" Max told her, grabbing her hands and pulling her up onto her feet. "Come on! We've gotta go!" She yelled before dropping to her hands and knees, snatching her shoes from underneath the couch, blowing dust off of them. She looked up at me for a minute as I zipped up the backpack.

"Fang, you cannot carry all that," She stated with a look. "It'll weigh you down. Nothing's heavy than cans."

I merely shrugged my shoulders and put it on. She was right, it was heavy, it would weigh me down, I almost immediately took it off to take some out. But before I did, I decided against it. No way was I going to give Max the satisfaction, not only that, but everything in this bag is essential for our survival. 'Even the chocolate' I thought.

I proceeded to move across the dark room and out the window silently. I waited outside re-adjusting the book bag so I could get my wings out. I looked down as nudge stumbled out of the window, no doubt Max practically threw her. Max slithered herself out of the window and popped the screen back in pace to the best of her ability. Max then ran down a country road before lifting off the ground. Nudge followed close behind, and I took off last, stroking my wings hard so we could get airborne.

'I'm sorry Angel, we're on our way, just hang in there' I thought. Once we were above the trees, I noticed Max's slight change in demeanor. She went from stressed and tense to now just anxious. I pushed myself up towards her flying just above her before looking down. Her eyes held so much emotion; sadness, guilt, fatigue, anxiety and more. I saw her eyebrows pull together as she lost herself deep in thought.

I knew what she was thinking of, what she was feeling, I almost always did. She was blaming herself for resting, especially so long. I decided to speak to her, maybe make her feel better, at least pull her out of her thoughts and talk some sense to her. "We had to rest," I said, moving down beside her.

She shot me a glance before replying. "For ten hours?"

"Today we've got another four hours to go, maybe a bit more," I said. "We couldn't have done it in one shot. It was late when we left. We're going to have to stop again anyway, right before we get there and refuel." When I was done, I looked over at her. I knew she was annoyed. One of the most annoying things a person can experience is when you're upset, and someone like me barges in with cold logic and reason. She sighed and looked over. I was right, and she knew it.

I caught her eye before turning away, I pushed my wings down hard a couple times and went higher into the air. The wind blew in my hair causing a grin to creep its way onto my face. Despite the anxiety that grew inside us, it was amazing here. I kept going higher and higher into the sky, I looked back and noticed Max and Nudge following. I leveled myself out and maintained an even altitude.

As we flew, I couldn't help but wonder what we were going to do when we got there. I knew we discussed possibilities just as we left for The School, but we didn't make anything official. Plans of attack ran through my head, things that could go wrong and right, consequences for every possible action. After an hour of pondering over this, I realized my thoughts and plans were futile if Max already had one, which she probably did, and if she didn't, I should tell her my thoughts on the best courses of action.

"We going to storm the place or what?" I asked Max.

Nudge piped up next to me. "Yeah, Max I was wondering what your plan was," She moved over to the other side of Max. "I mean, there's only three of us and a whole bunch of them. And the Erasers have guns. Could we, like, drive a truck through the gates? Or even into a building? Or maybe we could wait until nightfall, sneak in and sneak out with Angel before anyone notices us." Nudge grinned from ear to ear as the possibilities ran through her head.

I noticed how Max's expression changed, and she stayed quiet. She and I both knew that our chances of success were slim-to-none, but neither of us had the heart to tell Nudge. I studied Max's eyes for any clue as to what was going through her head. I knew she probably had a worst-case-scenario plan. I knew what it was too. And trust me, I am not going to let her sacrifice herself if I can help it.

 **There you go! Hope you liked, until next chapter! See-ya!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	14. Chapter 14

**And I'm back, after what… 4 weeks? Really sorry about that, but schools almost over then I will have a lot of time to write hopefully!**

 **Ok, that's all… enjoy the chapter!**

 **Chapter 14**

Flying is amazing, the rush of your blood flowing throughout your body, the way the wind hits your face causing your hair to fling in all directions, and don't even get me started on the view. Cars on busy highways looked like ants scrambling for food and buildings, and roads looked almost like a checkerboard. Best of all we don't have to worry about birds are machinery called 'airplanes' hitting us. Birds besides maybe falcons or hawks avoided such heights and we made sure to stay away from where planes would fly, rarely ever going towards where most of humanity resides.

As mutant-bird kids, it's true we would get in a lot of dangerous situations; usually, it was just falling off a cliff or a particularly strong gust of wind knocking you off balance, or our most recent danger, Eraser fights. But the adrenaline rush, the buzz in your ears, the emotions such as rage or fear that clouds your mind is different than the buzz you feel when flying. It feels… nice. Pleasant. Something that I wish everyone could experience at least once. Maybe not the torture we endured to experience this pleasure, just sky-diving would due.

I was interrupted from my thoughts when I caught wind of something Nudge was blabbering about.

"Gosh, I wonder what Iggy and The Gasman are doing now?" She questioned. "Maybe they got the TV working again. I hope they don't feel too bad. It would have — I mean, I guess it's kind of easier for them to be home. But I bet they're not cleaning up or getting wood or doing any of their chores."

I mentally chuckled. Knowing those two, they were probably cursing our names out in every word they could possibly gather from their vocabulary. Perhaps even going as far as placing traps and pranks around and hiding our stuff as revenge. And, although I don't really like the idea of them staying, I understand why Max had them stay. At least two out of six of us are safe.

I looked over at Max and noticed she was eyeing a group of children. As I 'zoomed in' on the group I noticed they were about our age, but oh how different we were from such a group. Granted we didn't have adults breathing down our backs telling us what to do, or how to do it. Expecting us to do great things for the future generations, but at the same time, they didn't have evil wolfmen and scientists trying to get ahold of them for experiments. As I said earlier — You lose some, you win some.

Another thing I noticed, that she was bound to see, was that the group of kids wasn't just messing around walking to or from home, but a group of boys surrounding a small girl. I looked up at max's face and saw how she made one of her snap-decisions. Some are good and amazing, but most of the time they're stupid and get us into trouble.

I looked ahead waiting for her to act on such a decision when she turned her head to me, and barely opened her mouth before I interrupted.

"No," I stated. Her eyes narrowed and opened her mouth again.

"No," I said much more sternly, attempting to intimidate her into backing down. However, I was so stupid to think it would work.

"Meet me at the northernmost point of Lake Mead." She said quickly. Before I could argue, Nudge spoke up next.

"What? What are you talking about?" She inquired. "Are we stopping? I'm hungry again."

I felt my temper wearing thin, I saw what those boys had, they had a gun, maybe even plural of that object. She was going to get hurt, and when she did, other humans were bound to get involved and cause a ruckus. But there is no point in arguing with Supergirl here.

"Max wants to be Supergirl, defender of the weak," I replied, my frustrations evident in my tone of voice. I don't want her to get hurt, but I can't just follow her. What will happen to Nudge? I can't hurt her either to make her stop, that wouldn't any better, and besides, I don't think I would be able to bring myself to do it anyway.

"Oh." Nudge said looking down, frowning as if that would help and make the reasoning clear. As Max started a wide circle to turn around Nudge spoke up again. "Oh! Max, remember when you got that little rabbit away from the Fox, and we kept it in a carton in the kitchen, and then when it was well you let it Go? That was cool. Did you see another rabbit?"

"Kind of," she said. "It'll take two seconds." She then turned to me. "I'll catch up with you guys before you've gone forty miles. Just keep on course, and if anything weird happens, I'll meet you at Lake Mead."

I stared ahead, the wind blowing through my hair. I hated this. I hated this so much. I don't know why, but just the thought of her getting hurt, by another boy made my blood boil.

"Okay, see you in a few." She said quickly before diving down. I looked down at her briefly and thought, 'Good luck, Max."

 **Annnnnd that's a wrap. TA-DA now we get to get into the chaos of a butt-ton of chapters without Fang, still debating on whether if they are back-to-back and I should just include them all in one section on this site or continue to make them individual chapters as I have been. Hmmm, you'll see.**

 **Till' next time, see ya!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	15. Chapter 15 - Iggy and Gazzy chapter

**Alrighty, this is another chapter without Fang. This is about Iggy and Gazzy. Feel free to skip if you'd like. This is chapter 20 in the actual book.**

 **Chapter 15**

The thing about Iggy was, well, sometimes he could figure stuff out like a real scientist. He was that supersmart, scary smart.

"Do we have any chlorine?" The Gasman asked Iggy. "It seems to be kind of explosive when mixed with other stuff."

Iggy frowned. "Like what, your socks? No, we don't have chlorine. No swimming pool. What color is this wire?"

The Gasman leaned over and examined the tangled pile of steps guts spread out on the kitchen table. "It looks like a robot came in here and threw up," he observed. "That wire's yellow."

"Okay. Keep track of the yellow wire. Very important. Do not confuse it with the red one."

The Gasman consulted the schematics he had downloaded off the internet. This morning Iggy had unfrozen the compressor fan inside the CPU, so the computer now worked without shutting down in hysteria every ten minutes. He had just fixed the computer, presto change-o.

"Okey dokey," Gazzy muttered flipping through the pages. "Next step, we need some kind of timing device."

Iggy thought for a moment. Then he smiled. Even his eyes seems to smile.

"Well, _that's_ an evil grin," Gazzy said uneasily.

"Go get me Max's alarm clock. The Mickey Mouse one."

 **And boom, one out of the 3 chapters that are Fang-free done. Very short.**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	16. Chapter 16 - Max and Ella chapter

**Another chapter without Fang, feel free to skip. This is part of Max's adventure playing hero. Chapter 21 in the actual book.**

 **Chapter 15**

I landed a bit hard and had to run really fast to keep from doing a total face plant. I was somewhere in Arizona, trotting through scrubby bush behind a deserted warehouse. I pulled my wings in, feeling them fold, hot from exercise, into a tight accordion on either side of my spine. I tied my windbreaker around my neck. ' _There,'_ I thought. ' _Perfectly normal looking.'_

When I rounded the corner of the warehouse, I saw that there were three guys, maybe fifteen, sixteen years old. The girl looked younger, maybe twelve or so.

"I told you not to tell anybody about my little situation with Ortiz," one boy was yelling at her. "If was none of your business. I had to teach him a lesson."

The girl bit her lip, looking angry and scared. "By beating him up? He looks like he got hit by a car. And he didn't do anything to you," she said, and I thought, _'You go, girl'_.

"He mouthed off to me. He exists. He breathes my air," said the guy, and his jerk friends laughed meanly. God, what creeps. _Armed_ creeps. One of them was holding a shotgun loosely in the crook of his arm. America, right to bear arms, yada, yada, yada. How old were these yahoos? Did their parents know they had guns?

It gets so tiring, this strong-picking-on-the-weak stuff. It was the story of my life — literally — and it seemed to be a big part of the outside world too. I was sick of it, sick of guys like these, stupid and bullying.

I stepped out from behind the building. The girl saw me, and her eyes flicked in surprise. It was enough. The guys wheeled to look behind them.

' _Just another stupid girl,'_ they thought, relieved. Their eyes lingered a moment on my scratched face, my black eye, but they didn't keep watching me. Mistake number one.

"So, Ella, what have you got to say for yourself?" The lead guy taunted. "Is there any reason I shouldn't teach you a lesson too?"

"Three guys against one girl. That seems about even." I said, striding up. It was hard to keep the fury off my face. My blood was singing with it.

"Shut up, _chick,_ " one of the boys snapped. "You better get out of here if you know what's good for you."

"Can't," I said, walking to stand next to the girl named Ella. She looked at me in alarm. "Actually, I think kicking your stupid butts would be good for me."

They laughed. Mistake number two.

Like the rest of the flock, I'm much stronger then even a grown man — genetic engineering at work. And all of us had been trained in self-defense by Jeb. I had skills. Until yesterday, I'd never had to use them. If I could just get Ella out of here . . .

"Grab Big Mouth," said the head guy, and the other two moved to flank me.

Which made mistake number three. Bam, you're out. I moved fast, fast, fast. With no warning, I snapped a high kick right into the lead jerk's chest. A blow that would have only knocked Fang's breath away actually seemed to snap a rib on this guy. I heard the crack, and the guy choked, looking shocked, and fell backward.

The remaining guys rushed at me at once. I whirled and grabbed the shotgun out of one's hands. Holding its barrel, I swung it in a wide arc against the side of his head. Crack! Stunned, he staggered sideways as a bright red for of blood streamed from his scalp.

I glanced over and saw Ella still standing there, looking afraid. I hoped not of me.

"Run!" I yelled at her. "Get out of here!" After a moment of hesitation, she turned and ran, leaving a little cloud of red dust behind her.

The third grabbed my arm, and I yanked it loose, then swung and punched him, aiming for his chin but hitting his nose. I winced — oops — feeling his nose break, and there was a slow-motion pause of about a second before it started gushing blood. Jeezum — humans were like eggshells.

The bullyboys were a mess. But still they staggered to their feet, rage and humiliation twisting their ugly faces. One of them picked up his gun and cocked it, favoring his right arm.

"You're gonna be so sorry," he promised, spitting blood out of his mouth and starting toward me.

"Bet I won't," I said. Then I turned tail and raced for the woods as fast as I could.

 **All done if you want Fang now just wait a little longer. There is one more chapter worth of Max and then we get Fang for a few chapters! Yay! Anyway, just wanted to say thanks to all who are reading! I know that the Maximum Ride fans are dying out, and I heard from a review by** ** _"Danbear"_** **that back in 2015 that about three stories a day would update, and I gotta say WOW!**

 **Although I may be getting out of reading fanfictions and the books themselves and even writing fanfictions myself, I will always be a fan and the series will always be held close to my heart, so if anyone is worried about me abandoning it, especially if I don't update for a few weeks, that I won't be doing that and I will finish this story. Plan to have it finished by 2020 so I can start on another story I have in planning. Who knows? I may even consider doing this book in other characters POV or doing the second books in Fang's POV as well.**

 **Again, thank you so much to everyone reading, I'm glad you're enjoying and to "** ** _Danbear"_** **, thank you so much for your encouraging words, they are the reason I wrote and posted this so early! I may even do the next chapter today too if I have time.**

 **Bye, everyone!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	17. Chapter 17 - Max chapter

**Another chapter without Fang, feel free to skip. This is part of Max's adventure with Ella. This is chapter 22 in the actual book.**

 **Chapter 17**

Of course, if I could have taken off, I'd have been a little speck in the sky by then. But I couldn't let those yo-yos see my wings, and within seconds I was in the woods anyway.

I ran through the underbrush, smacking branches out of my way, glad I was wearing shoes. I had no idea where I was going.

Behind me I could hear a couple of the bozos yelling, swearing, threatening, I wanted to laugh but couldn't spare the time. I was steadily increasing the distance between us.

Then I heard a loud _bang!_ From the shotgun, and the tree bark exploded around my head. That stupid gun. Are you thinking what I think you're thinking? Are you wondering if I noticed the similarities between this asinine situation to my dream? Well _yeah_. I'm not an _idiot_. As to what it all meant, well, I'll work on that later.

In the next second, there was another bang, and almost simultaneously a sudden, searing pain in my left shoulder. I gasped and glanced over to see blood blossoming on my sleeve. That idiot actually hit me!

Then sheer bad luck made me instantly trip over a tree root, fall on my hurt shoulder, and slide crazily down a steep slope, through brushes, underbrush, vines, and rocks. I tried to grab annoying, but my left arm couldn't move well, and my right hand scrabbled uselessly.

Finally, I tumbled to a stop at the bottom of an over-grown ravine. Looking up, I saw only green: I was covered by vines and shrubs.

I lay very still, trying to catch my breath, trying to think. Far above me, I heard the wild boys yelling and shooting again. They sounded like elephants crashing through the woods, and I tracked them clearly as the ran right past where I fell.

I felt like and orge had just beaten me all over with a club. I could barley move my left arm, and it hurt like fire. I tried to stretch out my wing, only to suck in a breath hard as I found out it had been hit too. I couldn't see it well over my shoulder, but my big clue was the screaming pain.

I was scraped all over, had lost my windbreaker, and if I wasn't mistaken, I was sitting in a patch of poison ivy.

Slowly, I stood up, smothering gasps of pain. I had to get out of here. I checked the sun and started working my way north. I swallowed a groan as I realized that Nudge and Fang were no doubt wondering where the heck I was.

I had messed up big-time. Angel was waiting for me too — if she was still alive. I had let them all down. On top of it, I was hurt pretty bad and had gun-toting maniacs after me. Crap.

I scowled. It's in my nature to fight for the underdog. Jeb had always told me it was my fatal flaw.

 _Jeb had been right._

 **All done, last No-Fang chapter for a while. I think I may add an extra chapter completely from me that the book doesn't has since the book doesn't exactly tell us all the much about what happened with Fang and Nudge during these events since the book is all about Max. We'll see.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed! Until next time.**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	18. Chapter 18

**This is a Fang chapter! YAY! Okie so, this chapter isn't actually in the book, I wanted to include a chapter about how Fang was feelings and what-not after Max left to help Ella, but the book doesn't have any chapters about that really. But it is to be expected since Fang is really just a side character and later a love-interest for Max in this particular book.**

 **Anyway, let's get on with it!**

 **Chapter 18**

I was pissed. Absolutely, one-hundred percent pissed. Life sucks, it really does. First, we are born as lab rats for some crazy scientists, then we escape with a mad scientist who acts as a father figure and then just up-right abandons us. Yeah, I said it! He left us! Poof! Gone! There when we went to bed and gone the next morning without any goodbyes! Not even a note! So here we are! Between the ages of 4 and 12 alone, in the mountains, in a house with only so much food before it goes poof. 2 years later, we're happy, over it, don't really care all that much, and then we get attacked!

Don't even get me started on that. I'm still in pain with that, we all are, my muscles ache, my cuts, and bruises itch from healing but hurts to stop the crawling feelings on every wound, and I'm stupid enough to carry a pack full of cans for food. I swear, these are made of something they shouldn't be because they feel like frickin bricks. I'm also in emotional pain. They took Angel! Our sweet little baby girl, Gazzy's sister, Max's favorite, the mind reader, the one who always makes us smile. Even me! And I don't smile!

Then we have to leave to go save her — if she is even alive still — pissing off Gazzy and Iggy in the process for having to leave them behind, and when we are making good time, just like Max wanted, you know what she does? She leaves! She just up and leaves to save a little girl, who we don't even know might I add, surrounded by boys, one of which has a gun, maybe more, which wastes more the time that Max made us rush out of that cabin to make up!

Now now, don't get me wrong, I agree someone should help that little girl, I agree it's terrible, but what I don't agree on, is that Max could get hurt. We can't afford any more injuries then we already have, ya' know?

Ugh, I'm overreacting. I know I am, I'm sorry. I moved my gaze from a particular cloud we were approaching over to Nudge. I wonder what is going through that little brain of hers? Despite her being twelve she is still technically a kid. Although I suppose if you think about it, I'm fourteen. I'm also just a kid.

That thought can really make a person depressed, can't it? Angel? She's only I think, six now? Maybe 7? Gazzy? He's only eight, Nudge is twelve, and Iggy, Max, and I are all fourteen. What happened? Why us? What did we ever do? I guess it can't be helped, what is done is done and can't be helped, but it makes me sad to sometimes think, that despite not living in cages anymore, little Angel, and Gazzy, even Nudge, don't have a chance at having even a semi-normal life. It's already too late for Iggy, Max, and I. We already grew a while ago, only reason Nudge hasn't yet is because she's hasn't had to spend as much time at The School, due to her age she along with the other two were able to pass up a lot of experiments for merely being too young.

Right now Angel shouldn't be tortured she should be worried about memorizing how to correctly add and subtract, working on a new set of words to read. Gazzy should be concerned about learning his multiplication facts, maybe even practicing to play some kind of sport like Baseball, or Football, perhaps even a game that isn't such a favorite like swimming or gymnastics. Nudge should be worried about her first day in middle school, and what to wear that day. I should be concerned about my school work, and impressing girls for when I'm older. Get a head-start on the ladies.

But nope, we have to worry about if we are even going to live to eat lunch again.

Speaking of lunch I then realized just how hungry I was, I looked up towards the sun and realized how long it's been since breakfast, and how long it's been since Max left. I looked ahead of me and saw parts of Lake Mead peaking up from the horizon. Just where is Max? Did something happen? Is she on her way? I can only hope for the best I suppose.

If I'm hungry and then I know for sure that Nudge must be starving, I looked down at her. She's currently blabbering about something, that has caught her attention. She hasn't said my name at all so I know she isn't expecting responses or said anything of importance like food. I decided we may eat something to hold us out until Max returned once we got to Lake Mead.

I looked down at Nudge and grinned. I knew we had to get out of the dumps somehow. Or at least I did, what better than a game? I angled my wings a little and dove down to reach her, I brought my arm in front of me before yelling for her.

"Nudge!" She looked up at me as I gently slapped her shoulder. "Tag!" I grinned, pulling up sharply to move away before diving down rapidly towards the ground. I looked up to her watching as her face moved from shock to pure joy.

"Oh, you're on!" She grinned diving down after me. I noticed that I would hit the ground before she caught up to me, so I unfolded my wings a bit to catch the air, slowing me down enough for her to catch up, but not enough for her to notice. When she was about 10 or so feet behind me, reaching her arm out to tag my foot, wing, just anything, I looked back at her and smirked.

I suddenly unfolded my wings tilting to the right, so I almost immediately stopped while turning away to avoid us colliding. I gave long, powerful thrusts downwards boosting my body higher into the sky. I watched as Nudge slowly turned herself around, ready to dive down and help her. Iggy, Max and I are pretty skilled fliers. It was the first thing Jeb taught us so we could get away if we couldn't fight when in danger. When Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel arrived, Jeb helped, but it was mostly up to us to teach them. And that was a headache. Honestly? We only just began Angel's lessons a few months ago, her wings had finally lost enough fluff and gained enough feathers to glide and start learning to fly.

When Nudge started climbing back up to me, I turned around speeding towards the lake to meet up with Max, this way we aren't wasting time while having fun. I turned around flying backward watching as she made her towards me. This, along with a few others, is a new trick I learned a little while ago — pretty cool to me — however, I am not very skilled and can only hold it for so long.

"Fang! No fair I can't fly as well as you!" Nudge called out to me, only a few feet away. I turned around and sped up before responding.

"Well then, this is pretty good practice don't you this?" I questioned.

"Practice!?" She screamed. "I thought this was just too have fun! God, you're always so serious and quiet, like a statue, let loose a lit—"

"It's practical fun!" I interrupted, and I wasn't lying either. "Come and get me you can do it Nu—" I stopped suddenly when I felt a hard slap to my left wing, I looked over and saw Nudge smirking at me, clearly proud she had caught up.

"Gotcha! Now, who needs practice!?" She bragged. "Letting a twelve-year-old pass you! HA!" She turned away flying ahead of me. I grinned, getting an idea.

I stoked my wings hard, yet silently and moved up above her. The sun was in just the right place to avoid casting a shadow.

"Fang!" Nudge called. "Come get me!" She turned around to look at me. "Fan — huh? Where are you!"

She stopped doing a 180 degree turn to face where I was before, I let myself fall slowly behind her.

"Fang?" She said slowly turning around. "Fang where are yo—"

"Boo," I said smirking.

"AHHHHH!" She screamed bringing her hands to her chest, her foot reacted even better then her hands did though. Her leg kicked my chest hard, and she moved to scold me. "Fang! That wasn't very nice! You know you're just like Gazzy used to a say! A big poopy face! What does that even mean anyway? A poopy face…" She kept blabbering on about the definition of 'poopy-face,' and I chuckled. It was the name Gazzy would call anyone he was angry with when he was younger, about Angel's age. I was almost always the butt of the joke. Hehe, get it? No? Alright anyway…

"Come on, Nudge. We gotta go meet Max at Lake Mead." I said turning away to the lake that was just a few minutes away.

"Alright, poopy-face." She said sticking her tongue out. I rolled my eyes. She can be such a child sometimes, but then again, can't we all?

 **Alright, chapter 18, again this isn't in the actual book just what I like to think happened while Nudge and Fang were on their way to Lake Mead.**

 **That's all for now, bye guys!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey, I'm back! So a couple things I need to say before we start the chapter…**

 **If you hadn't seen the authors note before this chapter because I had deleted it when this chapter was updated, here it is:**

 **"** **Please do not skip - this will be removed when the next chapter comes up!**

 **Hey everyone! So, I know I haven't updated in a while, I think it has been about 4 weeks? So a month? Yeah, it has been awhile. I actually have a reason too!**

 **So the weekend I was supposed to update, three things happened:**

 **1\. It was the very last weekend of school, meaning I had a lot of assignments for classes since the teachers/school district I'm in like to give last-min assignments where if I get a lousy grade my grade in the class can go from an A to a D in the few minutes it takes for them to grade the assignments.**

 **2\. My family decided to have an end-of-year vacation to the beach, so when I wasn't spending time with my family, I was doing those assignments I previously mentioned. No time for writing, unfortunately.**

 **3\. I had gone to the eye-doctor (before leaving for the vacation) for my yearly check-up, and I learned a couple things that aren't very good and brought a whole new element of stress for me. Basically, my eyes are at risk for "ripping" as the doctor said so fixing it an expensive and lengthy process. I am pretty much half blind writing this as I speak**

 **So yeah, that is why I haven't been updating, I have been very busy with my eyes and what-not plus other chores and responsibilities I have. Good news, though, too! I am officially off of school for the next 2 months or so, which means once I will be able to see fine again, I will have plenty of time to write when I am not volunteering for a school program or going to summer camp!**

 **Keep a look out for more updates in, what I am hoping, the next two weeks or so!"**

 **The 2nd thing to address: Apparently my doctor hadn't gotten the contacts I wear during the night wrong (Which is a common mistake, so I'm not angry), I'm still half blind! But that's ok, I still have an update.**

 **3\. I wanted to say, a person who reviewed this had said that I didn't say anything about swearing when I started this story SO, I will go back and update that for new readers, and for all the people seeing this now who isn't a new reader: There is some cussing! Nothing extensive like the "N-word," "C-word," or "T-word," just some common ones such as piss, shit, damn, hell (not in religious speaking), and (although I don't think so) maybe even fuck.**

 **Cussing won't be so frequent where it is in every paragraph or sentence, it may not even be in every chapter, but you should know that if you haven't already noticed.**

 **And finally, 4. I really want to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited/followed this story or me as an author. I am beyond happy that you all are enjoying my writing that much! I have had quite a few compliments from you all and thank you so much, it means a lot to me even though I don't get paid or anything from writing. I just do it for fun, and I'm so glad you have fun reading it.**

 **But that is all, so at long last here is chapter 19:**

 **Chapter 19**

"Fang? I'm really hungry, you know?" Nudge complained. I looked up towards the sun and tried to guess how long it's been since Max left. Based on that one TV show we watched one time about survival without modern items, it's been about an hour since we split, and a lot longer since we ate.

Nudge was still a little confused about what happened and where Max went. Why I was kind of upset over it. I suppose she just assumes I was worried about Angel and how Max leaving would slow us down, which she wasn't wrong in that case. I was concerned about that as well.

I looked down from the sun and saw a ledge, I nodded at Nudge and motioned my head for her to follow banking slightly towards what would be our new resting spot. It was on some cliffs, flat and made out of striated rock. I headed towards a shadowed indention and Nudge began to backpedal to slow down to land. Neither of us was perfect in that landing, and Nudge almost fell over when she ducked down, but she managed to make it look natural. I flew in, almost silently beside her.

We looked around, and it was about 15 feet deep and around 20 feet wide with a sharp drop on both ends. The flooring was sandy and dry, and the roof looked quite stable. Satisfied, Nudge gratefully sat down with a small sigh, and I pulled off my heavy backpack. As much as I hate to admit it, Max was right, the cans in the pack made it quite heavy.

I opened the backpack and started handing food to Nudge. She opened a bag of dried fruit first. "Oh, yes, yes," she chanted.

I grinned and decided to pull something out that would brighten her day considerably. I grabbed a chocolate bar and started to wave it in front of her face.

"Oh, Fang, where did you find this? You must have been hiding it — you didn't say anything, and all this time you've had chocolate, and oh, God it's so good . . ." She squealed.

I flashed her a small smile and bit into my chocolate. I closed my eyes for a few moments chewing slowly as the flavor burst in my tongue. See, unlike regular kids, we can't just walk into a store and buy bars or bags of it as we please, chocolate is a rarity we usually save for special events like holidays. Even rarer now as the food Jeb saved for us have been diminishing faster then we realized. Now rather than every holiday, it's only for big common ones we enjoy the most that don't last more than a day or two like Halloween, Christmas, and Easter. This way, we can easily save what we have left.

"So where's Max? Nudge asked after a few minutes of eating. "Why'd she go down there? Shouldn't she be back by now? Aren't we supposed to go all the way to Lake Mead? What are we gonna do if she doesn't come back soon —"

I held up my hand to stop her from rambling. I spoke quietly and calmly as I usually do, only rarely to speak or laugh like I had earlier when we were playing tag on our way here. So infrequently that my throat was a little sore from it. "Max saw someone in trouble, down below, and went to help. We'll wait for her; Lake Mead is right below us."

Although I am still bitter about her leaving like that, and stressed even more now about Angel and now Max as well, I am much calmer then I was on my way here. I looked up at Nudge and watched her worried expression. I don't blame her either. It's been a long while since Max said she would be back and every second we spent on activities that didn't help us get to Angel, counted.

Nudge stood up' her head barely grazed the top of the cave. She walked to the left ledge to see the lake that was just barely peeking out from where I sat. I tensed as she suddenly froze.

"Uh, Fang?" She asked nervously.

 **Chapter 19 there you go! Chapter 20 should be out soon. I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	20. Chapter 20

**New chapter! Chapter 20 here ya go:**

 **Chapter 20**

I walked out next to Nudge and stood perfectly still. I looked out and saw that the ledge we have landed on curved upward towards the top of the cliff. Plants, boulders, and hard-packed clay littered the area. That wasn't what worried me, though.

In between the rocks were two large nests about two feet across each with tiny fuzz balls laying inside. As we looked closer, we saw that those fuzz balls were little fledglings. I moved my eyes upwards and saw what I assumed to be the parents.

Standing tall next to the nest were two sets of rust-colored birds, once set per nest. They looked at Nudge and I tensely, their eyes locked on us watching every movement ready to protect their chicks.

"What are they?" Nudge whispered out the side of her mouth, frightened.

"Ferruginous Hawks," I quickly identified. "Largest raptor in the States. Sit down, very slowly. No sudden movements or we're both birds feed." I had once read a book with Max about birds when we were young. Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel had only just arrived in our hidden home a few hours afterward. We had found it in our small library. Max had wondered what type of bird we were mixed with, so we decided to research and guess. We later asked Jeb, and he told us, neither of us remembers that anymore, but somehow I remember the bird facts.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Nudge sink slowly to her knees. I kept watching the predatory birds for any sign of attack.

"Do you think —" Nudge had begun to ask, but I interrupted her with a small wave of my hand, telling her to be very quiet. I lowered myself next to her. I now noticed that one of the hawks had a dismembered gopher in its mouth. I also noted how loud its children were squawking.

We sat there for a few minutes, I could see that Nudge was tense as if she were to scream and run. I also saw how the hawks had begun to calm themselves. I then proceeded to extend my wing slowly. They tensed a little again, and their heads turned to the movement, their beady eyes locked on my side as if trying to burn a hole through it. I saw Nudge look at me slightly questioning.

"I'm letting them catch my scent," I whispered to her quietly, taking care to make sure my lips barely moved when I spoke. After what seemed forever, they relaxed and continued to feed their children.

They spread their wings some as they moved for balance. I relaxed now as well, fully sitting on my butt with on leg unfolded, the other sitting with my knee towards the sky.

I watched the birds interact, as I waited, I noted how their wings looked a lot like Nudges. One of the birds spread out its massive wings. _'five feet wingspan'_ I remembered. They looked powerful, I could see the strong muscle move as it folded its extremities back in.

The top of the wing had looked as if it was mostly brown with rusty streaks of coloring, the rusty coloring turning white as you got to the bottom of the wing. As two of the birds left for food, another returned. The one with the gopher continued to feed its noisy fledgling.

"Eew," Nudge whispered in disgust when the hawk that returned turned to give the chicks the still-wriggling snake. The fledglings, as expected, practically climbed one another for the first bite. "Double eew," she whispered again.

I slowly turned my head towards Nudge, and she looked up. _'This is so cool!'_ I excitedly exclaimed in my mind, shooting Nudge a full, teeth showing, grin. Nudge was so surprised she smiled back.

As much as I would like to leave and go to Angel, for Max to return safe and sound and ready for a fight, it really is pretty awesome just to sit here basking in the sun. Spread out surrounded by huge birds with our wings stretched out and resting. As I looked at Nudge once more, I could tell she thought the same.

Maybe it can't hurt to stay here for a little bit longer.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Ok, remember how I said maybe it won't hurt to stay with the hawks for a bit longer? Ya… when I said that we weren't thinking to wait this long. Even Nudge has started to notice how long it's been. I mean, I've been worrying ever since we separated with Max, but now Nudge is too.

"Angel's _waiting_ for us," Nudge said a little later. "I mean, she's like a little sister, like everyone's little sister."

She moved her hands along her legs to dust some of the rock off before proceeding to pick at a scab on her knee. "At night, when we're supposed to be asleep, me and Angel talk and tell jokes and stuff." Her brown eyes moved to meet mine. "I mean, am I going to have to sleep in that room alone, whenever we get home? Max has to come back. She wouldn't let Angel go, right?"

"No," I replied, hoping to reassure her. "She won't let Angel go. Look — you see how that big hawk, the one with the dark stripe on its shoulders — you see how he seems to move one wing faster than the other when he banks? It makes his bank really tight and smooth. We should try it."

Nudge looked at me as if I had grown horns, it was probably the longest sentence she'd ever hear me make after all. Sure I talk, sometimes more than others, but rarely for that long.

Nudge looked over at the hawk and saw what I had pointed out. "Yeah, I see what you mean," I didn't wait for Nudge to finish her sentence before I stood up and jogged towards the edge of the cliff. As I hit the side, I pushed my left foot onto the ground one last time as I pushed myself off the cliff. I spread my raven-colored wings and swooped up as they caught the wind. I flapped them some to bring myself close to the other hawks were circling.

I tilted my bodyweight towards like right-wing and swung back around to Nudge, as I flew past her I yelled, "Come on! Try it! You'll fly better."

I looked behind me, and I saw Nudge sigh and fling herself off the cliff. I know she was worried about Angel and Max. I am too, we all love them to pieces. Before Angel could read, I would read stories to her before bed or even when she just wanted to hear it, when she was upset, I always hold her until she calms herself, and Max. Well, Max is Max. That isn't a bad thing by any means, but I don't know how to describe it, she's like a sister to me, but at the same time, I occasionally can't help but feel, more.

I shook my head. _'Where did that come from!?'_ I thought in panic. _'She's a sister, the leader, Max. She's fine, always has, always will be.'_

I pushed all thoughts of Angel and Max out of my brain as I flew up to watch the hawks. As Nudge flew around aimlessly throughout the sky, I practiced what the move those hawks did to help their turnings.

Eventually, Nudge pulled up beside me, I demonstrated the move as she watched and copied, it wasn't a hard move to pull off. It made a huge difference though, my turns and banks went from a little sloppy and even slow sometimes, to fast, tight and Smooth. Nudge's turns were even worse than mine, but now her shifts have improved dramatically too.

We flew around in circles, practicing our flying and trying out new movements to make it easier. The hawks eventually even let us fly reasonably close to them, they seemed to be tolerating us, but we didn't want to push that luck.

I closed my eyes and turned from practice to just enjoying the feeling of flying as Nudge had been earlier. To feel the wind under my wings as it lifted me off the ground and kept me afloat. How. . . _powerful_ , it felt, to just be gliding freely in this space without fear. Yeah, as long as we kept our thoughts off Max and Angel, it would be ok for now.

Later that evening, I sat next to Nudge as she laid on her stomach, watching the hawks groom their hatchlings. They were so careful to bring no harm to them. These big, powerful, deadly predators, acting so kind and attentive almost seemed out of place. Raising these little balls of white fluff so eventually, one day, they can grow up and leave to do the same to their only generation of fluffiness.

My attention was immediately brought back to Nudge as I heard a small sniffle.

"What?" I asked.

"These birds," Nudge replied. "Like these dumb hawks have more of a mom than I ever had. The parents taking care of the little ones. No one ever did that for me. Well, besides Max. But she's not a mom." Wiping her eyes, probably feeling stupid.

I didn't really know how to respond. I didn't normally spend this much time with Nudge really, not like I do Angel or Iggy, or even Max, and I usually avoided her when we weren't busy for reasons unknown to even myself. Nudge, Angel, and Gazzy all had the benefit of having Max, Iggy, and I as parent figures. Sure, Jeb was there too, but nothing like the time we had with him. Even so, we were more like older siblings to the younger three than parents.

None of us knew the comfort a mother's touch brought, or the knowledge a father's experiences bring. It was something we all longed for, but we could never experience. I looked down, avoiding her gaze, I replied with the only sentence I knew to say at that time.

"Yeah, I get it." I tried to keep the sadness out of my voice, I'm Fang, I don't really talk outside of my own head, I don't usually show much emotion, and without Max here, and Nudge crying, I needed to stay strong.

Nudge stopped crying, and I pushed away from the thoughts of parents. The sun finally set with no sign of Max and the ruckus from the hawks and their offspring settles to peaceful silence with occasion coo or purr. After the light of day had disappeared for the night, we stayed up for about an hour watching the stars.

I moved closer to Nudge and brought out my left hand to her in the form of a fist. Nudge looked up at me and returned the gesture, placing hers on top of mine. For as long as we could remember, we always did this before bed. The whole flock. Except for one night, last night in the cabin, and now it was just Nudge and I.

We brought our fist apart before tapping them together in a small fist bump.

"Night," she whispered, crawling up against the cave wall and fell asleep.

"Night, Nudge," I whispered back, leaning up against the opposite side, so we each had room to stretch. I didn't fall asleep for a while after that, I couldn't help but think about everything that happened. I eventually moved over to lay on the grounds beside me because a large bruise on my back had started to ache from the pressure and constant movement it had from flying. My wounds on my body and mind were not yet healed completely.

My thoughts raced from thought to thought of everything that could be happening to Max and Angel right now. How Iggy and Gazzy must be taking this. I fell asleep after about an hour or so, thankfully.

 **Chapter 21 for you! So a few announcements:**

 **-School starts up again soon, so updates will be less random because I will have to make a schedule.**

 **-I plan for many updates to come up because I still need about 120 chapters before the book ends and I want to finish this story by 2020**

 **-Almost 3,000 people have seen this story! Holy cow, I wasn't even expecting 1,000, I also have some followers and favorites of this story, and even I as an author! Thank you so much! I hope you all are enjoying it!**

 **-And finally, I feel that maybe I am portraying Fang wrong from how he is in the book, so for those who perhaps have fanfics about him or have read the series more recently, how can I make him or other characters better if needed?**

 **That's all, bye!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	22. Chapter 22 - Max chapter

**Hello! This is a Max so if you don't want to read it you can skip, but I recommend reading it for the story line. This is chapter 26 in the real book.**

 **Chapter 22**

Oh man. This was _not_ the best day I'd ever had. My shoulder was still bleeding a bit, even though I'd been pressing it for hours. Every time I jostled it, warm blood oozed through my fingers.

I hadn't run into the gun-carrying clowns again, but I'd heard them off and on. I'd been working my way north in the big arc, trying to weave a confusing trail for whoever might be following me. Every time I heard them, I froze for endless minutes, trying to blend in with the brush.

Then, cramped and stiffening, I would painstakingly start again. In case they brought dogs, I'd splashed through streams at least four times, and let me tell you, trying to keep your balance on moss-covered rocks in icy water with a hurt shoulder is no picnic.

I'd felt around on my shoulder and wing, and as far as I could tell, the shot had just scooped out a trail of flash and wing but hadn't actually lodged inside. Whatever — my arm and wing felt useless and they hurt awfully.

It was getting late. Angel was somewhere hours away, being subjected to God knows what horror, wondering where I was. I pressed my lips together trying not to cry. I couldn't fly, couldn't catch up to Fang and Nudge, who were probably furious by now. It wasn't like I could call their cell phones or anything.

This situation totally sucked, and it was like 100 percent my own stupid fault, which made it suck even worse.

Then, of course, it started pouring rain.

So now I was slogging my way through wet woods, wet brush, red clay mud, wiping water out of my eyes, getting ore chilled and more miserable and more Hungary and more insanely _furious_ at myself.

I hadn't heard the guys in a long time — they had probably gone home to _get out of the rain._

A minute later I blinked and wiped my eyes. I squinted. There were lights ahead.

If it was a store or shed, I could wait till everyone left and then hole up for the night. Soon I was only ten yards away, hunching down in the darkness, peering through the wet trees. It was a house.

A figure passed a window, and my eyebrows raised. It was that girl, Ella. This must be her house.

I bit my lip. She probably lived here with her two doting parents and her 1.6 siblings. How nice for her. Anyway I was glad she had gotten home safe. Despite everything, if I had let those horrible guys beat her up, I never would have forgiven myself.

I shivered hard, feeling the icy rain fun down my back, I was about to fall over. What to do here, get a plan. . .

I was still waiting for a brilliant inspiration the the side door of the house opened. Ella came out hold and huge umbrella. A shadow moved at her feet. It was a dog, a low-to-the-ground, fat dog.

"Come on, Magnolia," Ella called. "Make it fast. You don't want to get too wet."

The dog started sniffing around the edge of their yard, snuffing in the weeds, oblivious to the rain. Ella turned and walked up and down, twirling her umbrella, scanning her yard. Her back was to me.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. I don't know who first said that, but they were right on the money. I took a deep breath, then very, very quietly, began to move toward Ella.

 **HAHAHAHA, two chapter in the same day! I'm on a roll. Might even do another today! Anyway, bye!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	23. Chapter 23 - Angel Chapter

**Yeah, I decided to do a third, in the same day, wonder why I'm into writing all of a sudden? Anyway, this is an Angel chapter, skip if you want, it's chapter 27 in the original book. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 23**

 _Okay, two more blood samples and the glucose assay will be done. Then we can do the EEGs._

 _'_ _Why isn't this over? Where are you, Max?'_ Angel thought sadly as the whitecoat approached. The front of Angel's dog crate opened, and a guy knelt down and peered in at her. She pressed herself against the back as hard as she could.

He reached in to grab her hand, where the shunt was and noticed her face. He turned back to his fellow whitecoats. "What happened to it?"

"It bit Reilly earlier," someone said. "He hit it."

"Angel tried to pull herself into a tight little ball. The whole left side of her face throbbed. But she was glad she'd bitten him. She hated him. Hated all of them.

 _Stupid Reilly. Guy should work in a car wash. If he wrecks this specimen, I'll kill him._

"Doesn't he realize how unique this subject is?" The whiteout said angrily. "I mean, this is subject _Eleven._ Does he know how long we've been looking for it? You tell Reilly not to damage the merchandise."

He reached in and tried to take Angel's hand again.

Angel didn't know what she should do. The plastic shunt on the back of her hand hurt, and she'd cradled it against her chest. All day she'd had nothing to eat or drink, and then they'd made her drink some horrible, sickly sweet orange stuff. They'd taken blood from her arm, but she'd fought them and bit that one guy. So they'd put a shunt in the back of her hand to make taking blood easier. They'd drawn her blood three times already.

Angel felt near tears but clenched her jaw.

Slowly, she uncoiled herself a tiny bit and edged closer to the opening. She stretched her hand towards the lab guy.

"That's it," he said soothingly, and pulled out a needle with a test tube attached. He unclipped the stop in the shunt and pushed the needle in. "This won't hurt. Honest."

Angel turned away, keeping her back to him, that one hand stretched away from her.

It didn't take long, and it didn't hurt. Maybe he was a good whitecoat — like Jeb. And maybe the moon was made out of cream cheese.

 **OK, I'm done, I'm tired and hungry, so goodbye! I hope you enjoyed these last few chapters.**

 **So until next time!**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	24. Chapter 24 - Iggy and Gazzy Chapter

**Good morning/evening/night to everyone! I just realized that it has been over a year since I published this story, can you believe that? I sure can't, the fact that I have kept up with something that long is insane. That also makes me want to say thank you again to everyone reading this, and to those who have kept up with reading this since I started!**

 **Another thing: School has officially started! This is actually my third day as of writing this. As one can expect, school work comes with school, so although I do want to post more often as I said before, no promises. I already have homework.**

 **I also want to say: this is a Iggy and Gazzy Chapter, skip if you wish, it's chapter 28 in the original book!**

 **I'm so happy you all are enjoying this story, with all that said, here is chapter 24!**

 **Chapter 24**

"Okay," said Iggy. "We're being _very_ careful. Hello? Gazzy? We're being _very_ careful?

"Check," said the Gasman, patting the explosive package they called Big Boy.

"Nails?"

The Gasman rattled the jar. "Check,"

"Tarp? Cooking oil?"

"Check, check." Gazzy nodded. "We are _geniuses._ Those Eraser's'll never know what hit 'em. If only we had time to dig a pit."

"Yeah, and put poison stakes at the bottom," Iggy agreed. "But I think what we've got is good. Now we need to fly out, stay out of sight, and check on how the roads run, and whether the Erasers have made a camp anywhere."

"Okay. They we can seed the roads with nails and set up the tarp and oil." The Gasman grinned. "We just have to make sure not to get caught."

"Yes. That would be bad," Iggy said with a straight face. "Now, _is it night yet?_ "

"Pretty much. I found you some dark clothes." Gazzy passed a shirt and pants into Iggy hands. "And I've got some too. So, you ready to roll?" He hoped Iggy didn't hear now nervous he was. This was a great plan; they had to do it — but failure would be disastrous. And probably deadly.

"Yeah, I'm bringing the Big Boy in case an opportunity arises." Iggy changed his clothes, then put their homemade bomb into a backpack and slung it onto his shoulders. "Don't worry," he said, as if he could see the Gasman's expression. "It can't go off till I set the timer. It's, like, a safety bomb."

The Gasman tried to smile. He cranked open the hall window as wide as it would go and perched on the ledge. His palms were sweating, and his stomach was all fluttery, but he has no choice — this was for Angel. This was to show people what would happen if the messed with his family.

He swallowed hard and launched himself out into the night air. It was amazing, to be able to spread his wings and fly. It was _great._ As he felt the night wind against his face, the Gasman's spirits rose. He felt strong, powerful, and dangerous. Not at all like an eight-year-old mutant freak.

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	25. Chapter 25 - Max Chapter

***GASP!* What's this? Two chapters in one day! Must be a miracle. See? I told you guys I would update more!**

 **This is a Max chapter, skip if you wish, chapter 29 in the real book!**

 **Anyway here ya go:**

 **Chapter 25**

"Um, Ella?"

The girl stiffened and jumped back.

I stepped forward a bit, out of the underbrush, so she could see my face. "It's me," I said, feeling even stupider. "The girl from before."

It was getting dark and still raining, and I hoped she could recognize me. The dog trotted over, saw me, and gave a halfhearted woof of warning.

"Oh, _yeah._ Hey thanks — for helping me," Said Ella, squinting at me through the rain. "Are you okay? What are you doing?" She sounded wary and glanced around, like maybe in the time since she'd last seen me I had gone over to the side of evil.

"I'm okay," I said lamely. "Well, actually, I guess I need help." Those words had never left my lips before. Thank God Jeb wasn't here to see me doing something so incredibly boneheaded and weak.

"Oh," Said Ella. "Gosh. Okay. Did those guys . . ."

"One of them managed to clip me with some shot. If you can believe that," I said, inching closer.

Ella gasped and put her hand over her mouth. "Oh no! Why didn't you tell me? You're hurt? Why didn't you go to the hospital? Oh, my gosh, come on in!"

She had stepped back to give me room and urged Magnolia, who had lumbered over and started sniffing my wet clothes with interest, away from me.

Guess what. I hesitated. Here was the moment of decision. Until I stepped inside into that house, I could still turn and run, escape. Once I was in that house, it would be much harder. Call it a little quirk of my personality, but I tend to freak out if I feel trapped anywhere. We all do — the flock, I mean. Living in a cage during your formative years can do that.

But I was honest enough with myself to know that I really couldn't go on like this — wet, cold, starving, and a little wonky from loss of blood. I had to suck it up and accept help. From strangers.

"Are your parents home?" I asked.

"There's just my mom," said Ella. "No dad. Come on, let's get you inside. My mom can help. Magnolia, here, girl." Ella turned and strode toward the house. She clomped up wooden steps, then turned and looked for me. "Can you walk okay?"

"Uh-huh," Slowly, I headed toward Ella's small house, which was glowing with warmth and light. I felt light-headed and panicky. This could be the last huge mistake in a long line of huge mistakes I had already made today.

I cradled my hurt arm with my good one.

"Oh, my God — is that blood?" Ella said, staring at my pale blue sweatshirt. "Oh, no, come on, we have to get you inside quick!" She shoved the door open with her shoulder, almost tripping on Magnolia, who trotted in quickly. "Mom! Mom! This girl needs help!"

I felt frozen. Stay or Run? Stay or Run. Stay?

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	26. Chapter 26 - Max Chapter

**Warning: This is a Max chapter, it is chapter 31 in the original story.**

 **Chapter 26**

A dark-haired woman with the worried eyes opened the door wider. "What is it, Ella? What's wrong?"

"Mom this is —" Ella stopped, her hand in midair.

"Max," I said. Why didn't I give a fake name? Because I didn't _think_ of it.

"My friend Max. She's the girl I told you about, the one who saved me from José and Dwayne and them. She saved me. But they shot her,"

"Oh, no!" Exclaimed Ella's mother. "Please, Max, come in. Do you want me to call your parents?"

I stood on the doormat, reluctant to drip rain, and blood, on their floor. "Um . . ."

Then Ella's mom saw my bloodstained sweatshirt, and her eyes flew to my face. My cheek was scratched, one eye was black. The whole situation changed in that instant.

"Let me get my stuff," she said gently. "Take off your shoes and go with Ella to the bathroom."

I sloshed down the hallway in my wet socks. "What stuff is she going to get?" I whispered .

Ella turned on a light and ushered me into an old-fashioned bathroom with green tiles and a rust ring around the sink drain.

"Her doctor stuff," Ella whispered back. "She's a vet, so she she's good with injuries. Even on people."

A vet! I started laughing weakly and had to sit down on the edge of the tub. A vet. Wait till they found out how appropriate that was.

Ella's mom came in with a plastic box of first air supplies. "Ella, maybe you could get Max some juice or something. She probably needs some sugar and fluids."

"Juice would be _great,_ " I said with feeling.

Ella nodded and hurries down the hall.

"I take it you don't want me to call your parents?" Ella's mom said softly, starting to cut away as the neck of my sweat-shirt.

"Uh, no." _Hello, lab? May I speak to a test tube, please?_

"or the police, either, right?"

"No need to get them involved," I agreed, then I sucked in my breaths her gentle fingers found the wound on my upper arm. "I think the bullet only grazed me."

Yes, I think you're right, but it's pretty deep and messy. And over here —" I sat frozen, staring straight ahead, as all my senses tensed. I was taking a huge risk here. You have no idea how huge. I had never, ever let someone outside the flock see my wings. But this was one situation I couldn't fix by myself. I _hated_ that.

Ella's mom frowned slightly. She finished cutting the neck, and the stretched the shirt off, leaving me in my tank top, I sat there like a statue, feeling a chilled coldness inside that had nothing to do with being wet.

"Here." Ella handed me a big glass of orange juice. I practically choked, trying to drink it down as fast as possible. Oh, my God, it was so good.

"What's —" Ella's mom said, her fingers skimming along the edge of my wing where it folded and tucked into and indentation next to my spine, between my shoulder and my waist. She leaned over to see better.

I stared at my wet socks, my toes clenching.

She turned to me slightly, and I let her.

Max," Her dark brown eyes were concerned, tired, and upset, all at once. "Max, what is this?" She asked gently, touching the feathers that were just barley visible.

I swallowed hard, knowing that I had just lost any hope for a normal connection with Ella and her mom. In my mind I reviewed the house layout: a right down the hall, a quick left and through the front door. It would take only a few seconds. I could do it. I could probably grab my boots on the way out too.

"It's is . . . wing," I whispered. Out of the corner of my eye. I saw Ella frown. "My, um, wing." Silence. "It got hurt too."

I took a deep breath, feeling like I was going to hurl, then slowly and painfully extended my wing just a bit, so Ella's mom could see where I'd been shot.

Their eyes widened. And widened. And widened. Until I began to expect them to just pop out and land on the floor.

"Wha' . . ." Ella began wonderingly

Her mom leaned over and examined it more clearly. Amazingly, she was trying to act casual, like, oh, okay, you have a _wing._ No biggie.

I was practically hyperventilating, feeling light-headed and kind of tunnel-visiony.

"Yeah, your wing got hit too," Ella's mom murmured, extending it ever so gently. "I think the shot nicked a bit of bone." She sat back a looked at me

I stared at the floor, feeling the weight of her gaze. I could not believe I was in this situation. Fang was going to kill me. And after I was dead, he would kill me again.

And I deserved it.

Ella's mom took a deep breath and let it out. "Okay, Max," she said in a calm, controlled voice. "First, we have to clean the wounds and stop the bleeding. When's the last time you had a tetanus shot?"

I stared up into her eyes. Ella's mom seemed no-nonsense and ... incredibly caring. About me. I had become a huge crybaby in the last couple days, so I wasn't surprised to feel tears haze my vision.

"Um, never?"

"Okay. I can take care of that too."

 **** **Yeah, so it's been awhile since I last uploaded. And I mean, the first month of school was kinda chaotic and I had no time to write but now it's December and school started in August and honestly I have no excuses. I have just been lazy, and uninspired to continue writing.**

 **I will not discontinue this story however, no matter what, even if it takes me years to complete.**

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	27. Chapter 27 - Iggy and Gazzy Chapter

**Warning: This is a Iggy and Gazzy chapter, chapter 32 in the actual book.**

 **Chapter 27**

"Come on, come on," the Gasman breathed. He was holding on to the pine branch so hard that he could

barely feel his fingers anymore.

"What's happening?" Iggy demanded impatiently. "Tell me everything."

It was early morning, and the two of them were perched near the top of an old-growth pine overlooking one of the abandoned logging roads. They had cased the situation, and the Gasman had been

right: At least two Erasers, maybe more, had set up a rough camp not far from where the helicopter had landed. It seemed clear they were looking for the rest of the flock. It didn't matter whether they wanted to kill them or only kidnap them: Capture was unthinkable.

The Gasman still had nightmares in which he found himself back at the School. He dreamed that whitecoats took blood, injected him with various drugs to see how he reacted, made him run and jump and then swallow radioactive dye so they could study his circulation. Days and endless weeks and years of feeling sick, hurting, vomiting, being exhausted, being stuck in a cage. The Gasman would die before he went back there. Angel would rather have died too, he knew—but she hadn't had a choice.

"The Hummer's coming," the Gasman said under his breath.

"On the right road?"

"Uh-huh. And they're driving too fast." The Gasman gave a tight, worried smile.

"They're not practicing safe driving habits. Tsk. What a shame."

"Okay, they're coming up," the Gasman muttered. "Another quarter mile."

"Can you see the tarp?"

"No." The Gasman watched tensely as the muddied black Humvee sped down the unpaved logging road.

"Any second now," he whispered to Iggy, who was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Hope they're wearing their seat belts. Not!"

Then it happened.

It was like watching a movie. One second, the boxy black vehicle was tearing along the road, and the next second, it swerved violently to the left with an audible squealing of brakes. It began a slow, graceless series of jerky spins down the road, then gave an unexpected jump toward the trees on one side. It hit the trees at an angle and went airborne, sailing upside down about fifteen feet before landing with a heavy crunching sound.

"Whoa," the Gasman said softly. "That was incredible."

"You have two seconds to give me the picture," Iggy said irritably.

"It hit the oil, all right. It spun, hit the trees, and did a flip," the Gasman told him.

"Now it's on its back, like a big, ugly, dead beetle."

"Yes!" Iggy punched the air, making their branch sway. "Signs of life?"

"Uh . . . oh, yeah. Yeah, one of them just punched out a window. Now they're climbing out. They look pretty dang mad. They're walking, so they're not that hurt." The Gasman wanted the Erasers out of the picture, so he wouldn't have to worry about them anymore. At the same time, he wasn't sure how he would feel if they had actually died.

Then he remembered that they had taken Angel.

He decided he was probably okay with them suffering a life-threatening accident.

"Shoot." Iggy sounded disappointed. "Any point in dropping Big Boy on them right now?"

The Gasman shook his head, remembered Iggy couldn't see it, and said, "I don't think so. They're talking on walkie-talkies. Now they're heading straight into the woods. We'd probably cause a huge forest fire or something."

"Hmm." Iggy frowned. "Okay. We need to regroup, come up with Phase Two. How about we hang at the old cabin for a minute?"

"Cool," said the Gasman. "Let's go. We've done enough good for one day."

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


	28. Chapter 28 - Iggy and Gazzy Chapter

**Warning: This is a Iggy and Gazzy chapter, chapter 32 in the actual book.**

 **Chapter 28**

Eighty years ago, loggers had used a makeshift cabin nearby as a base during logging season. Abandoned for the last thirty years, it was practically in ruins. Which made it an especially good clubhouse for the flock.

"So Phase One is complete," said Iggy, sitting in a broken plastic lawn chair. He sniffed the air. "We haven't been here in ages."

"Uh-uh," said the Gasman, glancing around. "In case you're wondering, it's still a dump."

"It's always been a dump," Iggy said. "That's why we like it."

"Man, I can't get over it—that tarp full of oil so totally wiped the Hummer out," the Gasman said. "It was kind of—scary. To really do it."

Iggy opened the backpack and took out Big Boy, running his sensitive fingers over the clock duct-taped to the explosive package.

"We have to eliminate the Erasers," he murmured. "So they can't ever hurt us again."

"So they can't ever take Angel again," the Gasman said, his eyes narrowing. "I say we bomb the chopper."

Iggy nodded and stood up. "Yeah. Listen, let's get out of here, get back home, make more plans."

In the next instant, the faintest vibration of the floorboards made Iggy freeze. The Gasman quickly looked at him, saw Iggy's sightless eyes flick to and fro.

"Did you hear?" the Gasman whispered, and Iggy nodded, holding up his hand. "Maybe a raccoon—"

"Not in the daytime," Iggy barely mouthed back.

A slight scratching on the door made the Gasman's blood turn to ice in his veins. Surely it was just an animal, a squirrel or somethi—

"Little pigs, little pigs, let me come in." The whispered voice, serene and angelic, seemed to float through the cracks in the door like poisonous smoke. It was an Eraser's voice, a voice that could ask you to jump off a cliff and you'd do it.

Heart pounding, the Gasman quickly scanned the room. The door. Two windows, one in the main room and a tiny one in the bathroom. He doubted he could fit through the one in the bathroom, much less Iggy.

The Eraser scratched at the door again, and the hairs on the back of the Gasman's neck stood up. Okay, the window in here, then. He began to edge his way over to it, knowing that Iggy would be able to follow the almost imperceptible sound.

Crash! The door burst open, splintered wood flying through the air like darts.

"Eight o'clock!" the Gasman whispered, telling Iggy where the window was as his brain registered the hulking Eraser filling the doorway. His muscles tensed for the leap through the window—but its light was suddenly blocked by a huge, grinning head.

"Hey, piggy, piggy, piggy," a second Eraser taunted through the dirt-clouded glass.

Years of Max-enforced training kicked in as adrenaline sped through the Gasman's body. Door blocked. Window blocked. They were surrounded, with no clean escape available. It was going to be a tight, he realized, already preparing himself.

More than likely a fight to the death.

 **I DO NOT OWN THE BOOK, CHARACTERS, OR ANYTHING SUCH AS POSSIBLE DIALOGUE THAT IS FOUND IN THE BOOK. CREDIT GOES TO THE AUTHOR JAMES PATTERSON!**


End file.
